Light and Gray
by Nara Bluestar
Summary: Just as Hyara is beginning to settle into her role as an ambassador to the Horde and the Alliance, she learns something disturbing about herself. It seems now that the past isn't as dead as she'd hoped. Complete.
1. Part I: Ch 1: Into the Beast

* * *

A/N: Hyara and Galmak are back! Story order is of course: In a Dark Place, Joined Lives, Secrets and Lies, Liberation, Light and Gray. Warning: there are massive, honkin', elekk-sized spoilers in this one for In a Dark Place. It also greatly helps if you've read Liberation. There's a little bit of strongish language scattered throughout; consider yourself warned about that too. And cookies for anyone who spots the veiled Asimov tribute. Cheers, mon!

Oh, yes: I don't own WoW, Blizz, or any NPCs I use. Only my own characters and story, which I hope you enjoy enough to review. :)

* * *

Hyara was outwardly the very image of statuesque, ice-cold composure. She flicked a stray ashy-blonde curl back over her shoulder and brushed at a patch of red dust marring the emerald green of her riding skirts. Inwardly she was terrified. Orgrimmar's gates yawned ahead smugly, daring her to come inside. And that's exactly what she had to do, that's where she was headed; she was going to walk right in there, no doubt about it…

"Think we'll make it by next spring?" Galmak gave her a sidelong grin around his fangs, his dark ponytail bobbing in time with his wolf's slow shuffle.

Hyara's horse was plodding along as if it were dragging an Amani war bear. "Hopefully not," she muttered, but she reluctantly urged the animal to a trot. "I'm just going for, uh… a stately, dignified entry."

Her husband laughed, but then his face grew serious. "Look, I know old habits die hard, but you're an ambassador here at Thrall's invitation. There's no better safeguard than that."

"I know, I know." She bit her lip, then looked at him slyly. "Maybe we'll just have to see how you would do in my place, hmm? How would you feel, walking in to Exodar when we go next month?"

"Hah! I'm safe. That won't happen; they'll never let me in. You're a neutral party now, but I'm still the evil enemy."

Hyara smiled. "Don't get too complacent, my love… I may get you an invitation yet." It was probably an empty threat, though; the Kanrethad were a neutral party, it was true, but one with very little influence still. Velen had readily agreed to meet with her, but there had been no response to her request for safe passage for Galmak. _How, oh how, did I ever let Remta rope me into this?_ But how could she refuse, after all? She'd sworn to help her new allies however she could; they'd needed an ambassador familiar with the people of Azeroth. And then there'd been Bernkh. That sadistic tauren had taken delight in insisting that her first mission in Azeroth be to pay the Kanrethad's respects to Thrall. Part of her had been elated; she'd never imagined she would get to see the great capital city of the orcs, the seat of power for her husband's people. But now the reality loomed in front of her and she found that fear was, after all, peering over her shoulder in earnest. She flicked her tail nervously. At least that meeting with Thrall himself shouldn't be too much to worry about. She, a draenei ambassador from a minor faction, didn't expect to warrant more than the briefest moment of the legendary Warchief's time. Perhaps he would even brush off their meeting at the last moment. Despite her duty to the Kanrethad, she almost wished he would. _Light, what am I doing? I feel like an elekk in a dress. Gheris is the one who could talk a goblin away from a rocket launcher. I'm just a silly hunter with a penchant for running head-on into trouble._

And speaking of dresses… Hyara tugged impatiently at the divided skirts of her green riding robes. She felt more like an anchorite than a hunter. She resolved to draw the line next time: no more uncomfortable, dignified-looking clothing; she'd do perfectly fine in her old familiar armor, thank you very much. She glanced at Galmak and caught him ogling her dress's low neckline. At least one of them was enjoying her new clothes.

There were a few wolves and riders lounging idly outside the gates. As Hyara and Galmak approached, the soldiers mounted up and loped briskly over. The foremost rider, a pale green-skinned orc woman with long, violet hair woven into a braid down her back, called a greeting and saluted as her wolf pulled to a halt in front of them. Hyara smiled calmly and bowed at the waist.

"You are Hyara, emissary of the Kanrethad?" The woman's voice carried strongly. Traffic near them at the gates had slowed somewhat as people paused to watch curiously.

"Yes, I am." Hyara tried to match the strength in the orc's voice.

"I am Sergeant Lekka of the Kor'kron Elite. I have been assigned as your escort while you are in Orgrimmar. On behalf of the Warchief Thrall and the Horde, you are welcome to our city." She bowed stiffly with a rattle of chain armor and glanced briefly at Galmak.

"I am honored to be here. I thank the Warchief for his hospitality," Hyara heard herself say.

Lekka nodded curtly and wheeled her wolf. The other guards closed in around the two hunters, flanking them as they followed Lekka through the gates.

The city's entrance had the feel of a tunnel burrowing into the walls of a massive fortress. An army could wash against this place for weeks in wave after futile wave, never so much as disturbing the impassive grey stone. Murder holes and arrow slits stared down like hostile eyes. Next to Hyara, Galmak was grinning like he'd just run into an old friend. Orgrimmar was home to him, but she felt as if she were walking into the mouth of a hungry wolf. The coolness of the tunnel, at least, was a welcome relief from Durotar's searing red sunlight. Despite the feeling of menacing power that the place exuded, people of every Horde race moved freely in and out of the city gates. Merchants' stalls lined the tunnel walls in a few places; a constant swirl of foot traffic eddied around them. Hyara was surprised to see a few humans, and even a dwarf, among the many faces that turned to look curiously at her. Perhaps the occasional human or dwarf mercenary was not an entirely uncommon sight in Orgrimmar, but it was clear that a draenei was. Nearby, Gink wove like a shadow through the crowd. Hyara was grateful for the calm, confident alertness of his sense.

They rounded a last corner and Orgrimmar suddenly lay before them. Here there was none of the formality or closeness of the fortress tunnel. Durotar's sun glared down on the jagged lines of stone and clay houses, shops, and taverns spread out in a jumble across a wide valley. Dusty streets wound snakelike between buildings, seemingly without order or plan. The city was built vertically too, buildings and paths climbing the red rocky walls enclosing the valley. Scattered everywhere was the spiky green of palms and cacti, relieving the pervasive red and brown of the place. It was a warren of red stone and wood, it was a valley full of the motion and color of life, it was high walls and ledges and mysterious pathways jutting in odd directions. Hyara grinned. It was magnificent.

She stole a glance at Galmak and caught him looking at her expectantly. His lips wore a hopeful half-smile.

"I love it," she whispered. He grinned, and she could see the pride in his eyes.

* * *

Hyara lay resting in their room in the inn, gathering her strength to face so much unfamiliarity again. Sun-baked, red Orgrimmar swam before her closed eyes. The city's smells of dust and animals and warm rock drifted in to her from the street below. So different… Exodar was all cool serenity and crystalline light. This place felt like Galmak. She laughed aloud at that thought. She felt enfolded, reminded of him by this whole city.

The door opened; Galmak came in and sat on the edge of the bed. He rested a huge green hand gently on her forehead. "Are you feeling alright?" he asked.

She nodded, her eyes still closed. "Just a little overwhelmed. I'll be ready to leave again in a minute." Suddenly her joy and delight overtook her and she caught his hand and kissed it, opening her eyes and smiling at him. "It's overwhelming, but I'm so glad to be here, Galmak. I never thought I'd really get to see it."

He grinned and leaned down to kiss her. "I'm glad I can share it with you. Take your time, love. There's nowhere official you need to be today."

Hyara wriggled, adjusting her dress; it always seemed to want to twist around her in annoying ways. Galmak was eyeing her cleavage again and she stuck out her tongue. "You like to see me in dresses, don't you," she sighed ruefully. She supposed she could get used to wearing them more often if he liked it so much.

"Well… you do look beautiful." He shrugged and grinned sheepishly. She kissed him again, but longer, more passionately, and he lowered himself down next to her. "Like I said, we have plenty of time…" He traced his hand gently down her front.

Hyara smiled in contentment. "Then let's make the most of it," she whispered.

* * *

Lekka scowled. "Care to be more specific?" she spat.

"Sorry, sergeant. He said they'd be staying here for a while. He didn't say how long. Something about needing a rest." The grunt grinned and made a rude suggestive gesture.

"Alright, get out of my sight," Lekka growled. This is what she got for being the most junior officer in the Kor'kron Elite, dammit. Now Lekka was stuck here indefinitely waiting on the leisure of a _draenei_, and one fresh from the Alliance too, from what she'd learned at her briefing. Stuck playing nursemaid and de facto spy to a minor draenei functionary of a minor Outland faction. Why Thrall was bothering with her, bothering to waste Lekka's own time keeping an eye on the bitch, she couldn't guess. Politics was beyond her; she'd gladly leave the intrigue and syrupy politeness to those who actually enjoyed dabbling in such things. How had that creature managed to wrangle an orc into her clutches? And a most attractive orc too. Lekka snorted. Maybe he hadn't noticed the tail.

* * *

Galmak led the way out of the inn, back out into the waves of afternoon heat radiating from Orgrimmar's abundant stone and clay. Hyara tried not to shrink from all the attention she was attracting, but she fervently wished she didn't stand out like a zhevra among horses. She was surprised, though, that many of the stares she got held little or no hostility; most people seemed merely curious or perhaps puzzled at the sight of a draenei moving freely around their city in the company of Thrall's special guards.

"Light, for once I wish it were colder… I could at least wear a cloak," she muttered.

Lekka spoke suddenly behind them. "Emissary, I'm afraid I must ask where you are going. As the person put in charge of your safety while you are here, I need to be aware of all your movements, including what exactly you intend with this little walk."

Galmak frowned. "I'd just like to show her around, is all. Is that going to be a problem?"

Hyara smiled thinly. "I think what she means, love, is that she doesn't trust me and she wants to know what the hell I'm doing. Is that right, sergeant?"

Lekka stared back at her unabashedly. "Yes."

"As Galmak said, I only want to see the city. If you think I'm going somewhere I shouldn't be, please just say so."

Lekka seemed none too thrilled, but she said nothing more as they continued down the street. Hyara took Galmak's hand discreetly, ready to let go if he seemed embarrassed by the contact under so much scrutiny, but he squeezed her hand firmly and smiled at her encouragingly. She didn't feel much like a diplomat. She felt far more like a country child come to town for the first time, gazing wide-eyed at everything, excited and at the same time fearful, glad of a strong, familiar hand to cling to. People parted around them in the street, whether giving her or the guards a wide berth, she didn't know. A tall, cerulean-skinned troll woman glanced up from a merchant's booth, met Hyara's eyes for an instant, and dropped a bolt of cloth on the ground in shock. The woman scrambled to gather it up as they passed, hissing at the merchant in agitated Zandali. Children peered from among the adults and Hyara heard a few childish voices shout insults against the Alliance.

"This is the Drag," Galmak said quietly at her side. "Some of the side streets get rough at night, but this main street is one of the biggest merchant districts in the city. Everybody comes here for everything."

The buildings here crowded close to the street, shading it and giving some relief from the scorching sun. Clothing fluttered brightly on lines strung high overhead. _It must dry here in about two minutes_, Hyara thought, wiping a sleeve across her brow. They rounded a corner and a gentle wind riffled suddenly over them. It wasn't exactly cool, but it was a bit less hot. Hyara stopped and lifted her hair away from her neck, then realized that she wasn't the only one enjoying the breeze. Everywhere people were congregated in the street and lounging off to the sides; orcs, trolls, tauren, goblins, and even the usually aloof blood elves were talking and laughing together as they sought some relief from the heat of the day. Only the undead seemed unaware of the heat, but a few of them were idling around chatting anyway.

Galmak smiled, surveying the scene. "There's always a breeze here blowing up from the caverns below the city. Most everybody spends some time here every day cooling off." He led Hyara to the side of the street and sat on a protruding boulder. Lekka and her soldiers moved a short distance away, surrounding them discreetly.

"She is not at all happy, is she?" Hyara said in a low voice.

Galmak snorted. "She must've pulled the short straw."

Hyara traced a finger absently across the banded rock face. "I feel awfully silly that she even needs to be here. Galmak, I don't think I'll ever make a good diplomat. How am I going to survive that audience with Thrall tomorrow?"

"You did fine in Telaar, from what I hear. And Shattrath, too." He put an arm around her and gave her a comforting squeeze.

"Light, Telaar was nothing. We knew the Kurenai would welcome us. There really wasn't any question about the Sha'tar either. And besides, Remta was there; he did most of the talking." She chuckled suddenly. "Gods, if myself three years ago could see me now…"

Her husband grinned. "You're not the only one. Never could have guessed I'd be sitting in the Drag talking with my beautiful draenei wife."

He rose, helping Hyara to her hooves, and immediately Lekka was back close at hand.

"Lekka," Hyara said suddenly. "Can you recommend a place nearby to get a drink?"

The woman's eyebrows rose. She was tempted to name the rowdiest tavern she could think of, just to see this Light-groveling princess thrown completely off-kilter. But then that would make more work for herself and potentially big trouble. "There's a place just over here," she grated out, and motioned down the street.

The tavern was pleasantly dim, giving at least the illusion of coolness. There was some sort of goblin-made contraption attached to the ceiling, stirring the air with a rustle of palm leaves. Only a few patrons lounged around; Lekka had chosen this tavern for its notable lack of activity during the afternoon hours. Hyara found a table in the warm breeze from the contraption. Lekka moved to stand with her back to the wall nearby, but Hyara motioned her over.

"Please. Will you sit?" Hyara smiled hesitantly. She couldn't help noticing that Galmak didn't seem to think that was such a good idea.

"A pouty orc woman is not something you want to get involved with," he muttered as he rose to go order drinks.

"You would know," Hyara breathed back. He just shook his head minutely and walked away.

Lekka scowled, but after a moment's hesitation she clomped over and sat across from Hyara, fixing the draenei with pale red eyes. "I won't be held responsible if this interferes with my ability to keep an effective lookout. And I won't drink on duty."

"It's only cactus apple juice," Galmak said as he plunked three glasses on the table. "It's too hot to drink anything stronger. Has it been this bad for very long?"

Lekka's lip curled faintly around her small fangs. "Yes. Unusually hot for a while now. Such fascinating weather."

Galmak grunted. Hyara could tell he'd washed his hands of this woman.

"If…" Hyara floundered a little, but she'd gotten herself into this. "If you don't mind telling me, what is the Kor'kron Elite?"

"We are the Warchief's personal forces. We act as bodyguards and we also attend to… less important matters that the Warchief asks of us," Lekka finished with a disdainful sniff. She eyed the draenei. "And you… _were_ a priestess for the Alliance, no doubt? You must have had quite a difficult change of heart, to abandon your former allies."

Hyara raised an eyebrow. "A priestess? Gods, no. Not all draenei follow the Light for a calling, sergeant. I'm a hunter. The cat is mine."

Lekka took a sip of juice to hide her surprise. Not a priestess? She'd assumed the cat and the wolf both belonged to the man.

"As for the Alliance," Hyara continued. "I believe by swearing myself to the Kanrethad I've gained more than I lost when I left the Alliance. I haven't abandoned friendship with anyone, and in fact I've opened the possibility of friendship with the Horde. The Kanrethad believe that only those who are truly evil should be combated. It's a waste of energy to fight people who shouldn't be enemies in the first place."

"Sergeant." One of Lekka's grunts spoke quietly behind her. He'd just come from the tavern doorway.

Lekka turned away from the draenei with some relief. "What is it, soldier?"

"There are several people trying to get in, wanting to see the draenei. We've told them to move on, but they seem to be getting restive."

Lekka frowned. "We can't keep them out of here, grunt. We don't have the authority to bar business from this tavern. Let them in immediately but keep a way clear for us. Don't let anyone near the emissary." She glared between Hyara and Galmak. "Time to move on. You're developing a following."

The grunt saluted and strode back outside. Galmak looked apprehensively toward the door; he didn't like the idea of a potential mob gathering demanding to see his wife.

"This is what I was afraid of," Lekka muttered. "Most people will have never seen a draenei in Orgrimmar before. Some may never even have seen a draenei at all. You attract far too much attention to be wandering the city at whim."

"So she's just supposed to sit in the inn?" Galmak growled. "Why bother guarding her if there's nothing for you to do?"

"I don't need you to tell me how to do my job," Lekka snapped, then scraped together a modicum of courtesy to address Hyara. The orc bowed her head stiffly. "I would strongly suggest that we return to the inn now, emissary."

Hyara merely nodded. She was embarrassed by all the commotion she seemed to be causing, but at the same time disappointed and sorry for Galmak that his tour of the city would have to be cut short. She gave him an encouraging smile. "It's alright," she said to him in a low voice. "I'll get to see more tomorrow."

They followed Lekka to the doorway, but stopped short. "Several people" had been something of an understatement; there were several dozen people now gathered in the street just outside trying to push their way into the tavern past the guards.

"You'll be allowed in in just a minute, people-" one of the grunts was saying as Lekka appeared in the door. The small crowd seemed to pause collectively at the sight of her. Her glare hit them like a fireball.

"Everyone back," she growled. "Stop gawking and clear a way!" The crowd shrank back a few feet and she jerked her head to the grunts, who fell in to either side of Hyara. Galmak stepped protectively in front of Hyara as they passed through the doorway, hoping to shield her from view somewhat.

"There she is!" someone near the back of the mob shouted. "Blue-blood! Alliance filth!" Hyara lowered her head and tried to make herself as small as possible as more in the crowd took up the insults. Galmak put an arm around her, but his other hand was clenched tightly into a fist and his jaw was set so hard it looked like his teeth might crack.

"Calm down, love," Hyara whispered. "We just need to get out of here without any real trouble…"

Lekka was seething. Most of these people here were probably merely curious, but if she didn't stop this now they might pick up a hundred more people on their way back to the inn; then things could get extremely ugly. Either way, Thrall would have to hear about this, a thought which angered her further. She wouldn't be seen as failing in her duty. Lekka whirled on the crowd, her eyes glowing crimson. "That's enough!" she roared. "Does this insignia mean nothing to you dogs? Honor your Warchief! This draenei is under his protection! Anyone who lays a hand on her will answer directly to Thrall!"

The crowd muttered uneasily; a few more stray insults rose half-heartedly. Then slowly the knot of people began to unravel at the edges and drift away back into the city's current of traffic. Lekka turned sharply on her heel and marched the group grimly back toward the inn. Hyara and Galmak both allowed themselves a sigh of relief.

_A close one_, Palla said. _There were some people at the back who looked like they were ready to start throwing things._

_Dammit, don't tell me that…_ Galmak shuddered. Coming out here had been his idea. Still, he had to admit that Hyara never would have been content to sit on her hands in the inn when she could be exploring Orgrimmar.

Back in their room, Hyara sank down onto the bed, her head in her hands. "So much for being an ambassador of peace."

Galmak sighed and shook his head ruefully. "You weren't the one threatening the peace. I should've known we'd be asking for a mess by going out there."

"You're not to blame for any of it, love. I suppose it will just take some time for me to settle into this role and learn how to play it." Hyara crossed the room to Galmak where he stood at the window looking down on the city he loved; the city that rejected the woman he loved. She brushed her fingers over his cheeks and smiled into his deep brown eyes. "Things will change. I… I'm going to see to it," she said with determination.

He laughed and hugged her close. "If there's anyone who can face down big trouble and come out the better for it, I know it's you."

Hyara sighed and kissed him lingeringly. "It's always been you who gave me the strength to do it."

* * *

Thrall wasn't particularly pleased. Lekka tried not to writhe under his piercing blue gaze. "I- I am deeply sorry, Warchief. I take full responsibility for what happened."

The Warchief's frown softened slightly. "Not particularly your fault, I suppose, sergeant. The behavior of the masses can be difficult to predict. Perhaps I misjudged the tolerance of Orgrimmar's citizens," he mused to himself. He'd also misjudged the need to get the rumor mill working; he'd have to rectify that. By tomorrow his network of rumor-circulators would have made it well-known that the draenei in Orgrimmar was not part of the Alliance. "In any case, no harm came of it. Your control of the situation was admirable," he said.

Lekka refrained from shifting uncomfortably and stared stoically ahead. "Sir, in light of this incident, I'd like to request that extra guards be dispatched tomorrow to escort her here for her audience." She'd disappointed him, but she wasn't going to let it happen again. Even if it meant admitting she wasn't up to the task she'd been assigned.

Thrall hid a grimace. Damn. Now he would indeed have to see this draenei; there'd be no last-minute polite excuse and apology for cancelling the meeting. He couldn't let her leave the city feeling like she'd been roughed up and then snubbed, no matter how small and powerless her faction. That was just generally bad for business. He nodded to Lekka. "I agree. You'll get the extra forces for that."

Lekka was dismissed; she saluted and fled.

* * *


	2. Part I: Ch 2: The Warchief

A/N: Thrall inc!

* * *

Hyara was dismayed by all the guards that came to escort her the next day. Where before it had been only Lekka and her two grunts, now a dozen mounted soldiers closed in around them as they rode off to Grommash Hold in the Valley of Wisdom. She wore another of the hated dresses for this occasion; this one was deep purple with gold trim and, if it were possible, seemed more temperamental than the last. She might look like a diplomat, but she felt uncomfortably like a prisoner riding surrounded by so many fearsome armored guards. To her relief only Lekka dismounted along with her and Galmak once they reached the Hold. They followed the sergeant through the Hold's great doors and into the sanctum hall of Orgrimmar's shamans. Lekka spoke quietly with an aide who came to greet them. Galmak gave Hyara's hand a quick squeeze.

"You'll do fine, love," he whispered. "And once again… you look beautiful." He winked. Hyara stifled a laugh, grateful for his encouragement. Galmak moved off to one side of the wide stone hall to wait. Hyara gave him a last weak smile, and then it was time to follow the aide into Thrall's council chamber. She was about to take a deep, shaky breath to calm her nervousness when she noticed Lekka was watching her with an almost imperceptible smug smile. Determination flooded Hyara and she strode coolly after the aide, her hooves echoing in sharp staccato across the stone floor.

Thrall, mighty Warchief of the Horde, stood bent over a desk to one side of the hall. Reports, orders, maps, papers of every kind were strewn across the desk; an aide was taking dictation of some message as they entered the room. Guards stood stiffly at attention to either side of the door, and there were a few more spaced around the room's rounded stone walls. Hyara's escort paused briefly until the message was finished, then announced her in a smooth voice that echoed faintly in the cavernous hall. "Warchief, may I present Emissary Hyara of the Kanrethad."

Hyara's heart fluttered as she stepped forward. Thrall straightened from his scrutiny of a field report and strode toward the draenei.

"Welcome, emissary." His voice rumbled deeply. He was huge, taller than any orc she'd seen, and looked strong enough to lift an elekk. His hair was dark, almost the same shade as Galmak's.

Hyara met his startlingly blue eyes as calmly as she could and tried to manage a clumsy curtsey without tangling her hooves and tipping nose first to the floor. "Thank you, Warchief. I'm honored to be here." She noted proudly that her voice trembled only a little.

The ghost of a smile played on his lips, then was gone. "Please accept my apologies for the incident yesterday. I trust Sergeant Lekka kept you unharmed?"

"Oh…" Hyara stammered a little, caught off-balance at being apologized to by the Warchief of the entire Horde. "No apology is necessary, Warchief, I- I suppose I should have been more cautious. Lekka defused it very well," she added.

"Nevertheless, I do regret that Orgrimmar's citizens weren't more welcoming. Make no mistake, we are glad to have the Kanrethad as allies in Outland." He was struggling to remember if there was anything in particular he ought to say regarding this draenei and her little faction, but the exact details were eluding him. Hopefully it wouldn't matter; she'd be back out the door in another… he made a bet with himself. Forty-eight seconds.

"We were very pleased when Greatmother Geyah and… uh, your representative accepted our offer of peace." She paused awkwardly. "Of course I wasn't with the Kanrethad yet at that time. I can't take any credit for negotiating that. But still very glad." Hyara wanted to smack herself. Would she ever get better at this?

Thrall's eyes focused sharply on her suddenly. Ah… this one. The details of Bernkh Bluefeather's report were coming back to him now. His eyebrows rose slightly as he appraised her again. That had been such an odd incident. He felt himself losing his own bet as his curiosity got the better of him.

"Yes… You were with the Alliance at that time, weren't you?" he rumbled.

Hyara gulped. "I was, Warchief."

"Bernkh's report detailed an extremely… unusual train of events leading up to that treaty. Your mate is an orc, isn't he?"

"Uh… yes, Warchief."

Thrall looked amused. "Does that term embarrass you, emissary?"

Hyara blushed faintly. "I'm growing used to it, Warchief. Draenei say 'husband' and 'wife.' My husband has mostly adopted those terms."

"At any rate. I understand your husband had been taking you inside our settlements in Outland while you masqueraded as a slave." That had been irresponsible. He couldn't berate this ambassador for that, but perhaps he still ought to do something about that kind of recklessness in one of his own citizens.

Hyara's eyes widened. Bernkh hadn't done anything to Galmak a few months ago when he'd learned about their charade. The tauren had hinted that there might still be repercussions later, but nothing so far had happened. "Warchief…" she stammered. "That- that was my fault. It was my idea; he didn't want to do it."

Thrall spoke quietly. "It might have endangered a great many people. Had you been dangerous." He almost smiled at that thought.

"But Galmak knew I wasn't! I'm not dangerous," she floundered. She knew she was starting to sound like a misbehaving child and struggled to regain her ambassadorial dignity. She drew herself up to her full height and somehow managed to meet Thrall's eyes. "If- if you h-hurt him, I will be greatly d-displeased," she stammered.

Thrall started with a chuckle, but ended up roaring with laughter. Hyara gave an involuntary squeak of alarm.

Thrall wiped a hand across his eyes. "You may not be dangerous, but I'd rather not see you 'greatly displeased,' little one," he said when finally he could speak again. "Galmak, you said? Ah, yes… that would be Lurigk and Serlah's son, last of the Thunderlord Clan. Serlah is quite a gifted alchemist."

Hyara gaped at him. She didn't quite know what to make of any of this. Had she really just stood up to the Warchief of the Horde? And he didn't seem to be angry.

"Come," Thrall said and steered her gently back toward the door. "I'd like to speak with your husband for a moment."

* * *

Galmak sat down to wait as Hyara disappeared into Thrall's council chamber. He felt a little nervous for her even though he knew she had nothing to fear from Thrall. In fact, she ought to be right back out here in no time. He lounged against a woven tapestry on the wall and surveyed the activity around him. The shamans paid him little attention as they attended quietly to the day's business, meditations, and training; they were used to interlopers in their hall come to see the Warchief. A very young orc with wild lime-green hair, probably just stumbled away from his parents' farmhouse, was attempting to conjure a totem on the far side of the hall. His teacher wore a resigned look of granite-hard patience as she shook her head and gave him another demonstration.

Galmak glanced toward the door as a short, dark green-skinned orc woman slipped quietly, almost furtively, in from the street and waved to the trainer. The trainer nodded but motioned to her charge, as if to say she couldn't be interrupted. The newcomer shrugged unconcernedly and looked eagerly around the room as if searching for something. Her eyes lighted on a man slouched on a bench at a far wall. He was facing away from her and looked as though he was trying to shrink into the wall. A grey wolf rested near his feet.

"Galmak!"

He cringed. "Oh, uh… hey, Atta."

" Hey to you! Haven't seen you in four years and that's what I get? Bastard." She thumped down onto the bench next to him and flipped her short brown hair out of her face. "What are you doing here? Don't tell me you're waiting to see Thrall. Did you do something bad?" She laughed.

"Uh, no. Just… it's hot out?"

Atta cackled again and smacked his leg. "Stupid place to pick to get out of the heat. You know the shamans'll run you out after a while? They always make me leave if I'm here to see Kardris very long."

"Imagine that," Galmak muttered. He was having no trouble remembering why he'd hoped never to see her again after their only semi-amiable final parting four years ago. Hyara was taking longer than he'd expected with Thrall; Galmak hoped fervently that she'd take even longer still.

"I'm here because of that draenei. Have you seen her? Is she in with Thrall right now? I'm one of the lucky ones; they let me in because I said I was here to see Kardris there." She jerked a thumb toward the trainer, still patiently demonstrating for the young shaman. "Draenei are so strange! I'm gonna catch her when she comes back out."

"Catch her?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"Catch a look, dummy. I wonder what she's doing in the city. Somebody out front said she's not Alliance. Strange that it makes two in two days. It must be an invasion!" Atta jabbed him with an elbow and laughed.

He grunted. "What do you mean, 'two in two days'?"

She glared at him for some reason he couldn't fathom. "Got your head up your arse again? Don't you listen to things going on? There's another draenei in Orgrimmar. Somebody brought in a slave today. I haven't seen that one yet. This'll be my first draenei!" She sounded like an excited collector faced with an unusual specimen.

Galmak groaned inwardly. If Hyara heard about that… gods. He felt sudden anger tighten his chest. Hyara's slavery had been merely a ploy to keep them from being separated. He'd almost let himself forget that the practice still existed in actual fact.

The distant but unmistakable clop of hooves carried from the door to Thrall's chamber. Galmak allowed himself a small sigh as Atta turned to stare avidly at the door. Hyara appeared, followed closely by Thrall himself. Galmak rose as they approached; he heard Atta give a breathless "oooh" behind him.

"Ah, Galmak!" the Warchief bellowed. Hyara jumped. She looked mildly dazed. Out of the corner of his eye Galmak was surprised to note that Atta at least had enough sense to melt discreetly away. Hyara's eyes followed the retreating woman for a few seconds, but she was more concerned with what Thrall was going to say to her husband.

"Warchief, I'm honored," Galmak said and bowed low.

"Your wife and I were just discussing some of the events leading up to the treaty with the Kanrethad," Thrall rumbled. "Bernkh made a full report on that, including your dubious decision to harbor a member of the Alliance within Horde settlements in Outland."

Galmak nodded resignedly. "Warchief, I know it doesn't do much good, but I'm sorry if you feel my judgment was bad in that matter. I never would have done it if I'd had any question of Hyara being dangerous to the Horde in any way."

"I realize that. I've known your parents for many years, and I know they raised you to keep the interests of the Horde always in your heart. I also know the pain of separation can be too much to bear. We love whom we love." He sighed; then a slight smile flickered across his face. "Besides… your wife has informed me that I would be risking her extreme displeasure if I were to punish you."

Hyara bit her lip and blushed deeply. Galmak grinned. "She will do that, sir. She has a way of speaking her mind."

"Well. It was a pleasure to meet you, emissary. We will remember the friendship of the Kanrethad." Thrall inclined his head to Hyara. "I wish you safe travels back to Nagrand. Galmak, you as well."

Hyara curtsied again; Galmak saluted proudly. "For the Horde, Warchief!" he said.

Thrall strode back to his council chamber and Lekka was suddenly back close at Hyara's side. The draenei blinked dazedly at her husband for a few seconds before a grin spread across her face and she let out a sigh of relief. Galmak laughed and took one of her small hands between his own.

"See?" he said. "You did more than fine." They started toward the door out of the Hold and he noticed Atta standing in the middle of the room, gaping. He gave her a nod and a weak smile, and hoped that this really would be the last time he'd see her.

* * *


	3. Part I: Ch 3: Merok

A/N: Huge, huge thanks to T. Mirai, ashoutinthedark, Tabbie Johnson, and Choola for giving my stuff a veritable flood of reviews in the past few days!

Another thing... This is looking like it's going to be a two-parter. This first part is eight chapters long, and I'm working on the continuation now. I'll probably flag this story complete for a while once I get to the end of part one, then open it back up for part two.

* * *

"You really don't mind?" Hyara flopped down on the bed tiredly. That meeting with Thrall had drained her more than she cared to admit. It took a lot of energy to sustain a state of nervous but dignified composure in the face of a presence as intimidating as Thrall's.

"I don't mind at all, love. Get some rest." This would give him a chance to check up on a few things. He kissed her and she promptly rolled over and drifted into a light sleep.

Galmak paused to speak to Lekka on his way out of the inn. "Hyara is staying upstairs. I'm going out for a while." Lekka nodded unconcernedly; Galmak's whereabouts weren't her problem. He stepped out into the sizzling dry heat and set off for his favorite tavern.

It took him only about ten minutes inside before he'd learned pretty much everything he'd wanted to know. The city's gossip channels seemed to be buzzing with the most unusual news in a couple of weeks: the presence of two draenei in the city at the same time. Orgrimmar saw a lot of traffic as the capital of the Horde, but draenei were less populous to begin with than the other Alliance races and an extremely rare sight this far into Horde territory. Naturally they were an even rarer sight within the city itself.

"Yah, mon. One's some kinda diplomat. Not suppose'ta be part of da Alliance. Some Outland faction, I hear," a slightly tipsy elderly troll told Galmak.

"You know anything about this other one I've heard about?" Galmak asked. He signaled to the barkeep, who slid another mug of ale under the troll's long nose.

"Cheers, mon. Da otha one be a slave. I had it from mah cousin that he come inta town jus' today. He be belongin' ta some orc. Heard 'e has a shop somewhere in da Drag."

Galmak sat for another minute taking a few more swigs of ale, then slipped out the door and turned in the direction of the Drag. He whistled as he walked along in the scalding sunlight among the sights and sounds of the city he'd come to know like an old friend over the years. He could still remember so well his first time here as a child, toddling saucer-eyed through the Talon Gate, his father's hand clenched tightly in his chubby fist. Orgrimmar had been only about as old as he was then. How the city had grown up since…

The Drag was as crowded and lively as it had been yesterday. Galmak wove his way through the people clustered around merchants' stalls and dodged nimbly across the currents moving up and down the street. He kept his eyes open and his senses alert, relying on his knowledge of the city's behavior to inform him of anything out of the ordinary, anything that might indicate he'd run across his goal. Palla frisked along nearby, nose to the dust, reveling in the myriad scents only a place like this could provide.

Finally it looked like he'd found something. It was a small shop sandwiched between two larger ones, not normally a place that would attract much attention or walk-in business: a lumber supply company that took orders for shipments from the Warsong clan in Ashenvale. There was a group of people idling outside, chatting disgruntledly among themselves and periodically pointing toward the shop's closed door. Galmak sidled over to have a look.

He nudged a Forsaken. "What's going on?"

The man turned. "They have a draenei in there. I had hoped to see it; they're such fascinating creatures. Apparently it was interfering with his business to have so many people pushing in the door, demanding to see the thing. He's closed up shop." The undead rolled his yellow eyes.

Galmak nodded and walked over to the door. _Well, not much else to do but try_. He knocked loudly. There was a seemingly interminable pause and he'd almost decided to write it off and come back later when suddenly the door creaked open a crack.

"What do you want?" a rough voice said. "This ain't a freak show. If you're here for anything but lumber, get your ass away!"

"I'm not looking to gawk," Galmak said. "I'm looking to buy. Is the slave for sale?"

The crack widened slightly and the man eyed him critically, taking in the hunter's serviceable but somewhat worn armor. "Anything's for sale at the right price," he grunted. He glared intently at Galmak. "You serious or you wasting my time?"

Galmak stared back unflinchingly. "I'm serious."

The door opened fully, revealing a short, green-haired orc with squinting red eyes. He glanced out at the people clustered outside and glared. "Get outta here before I call in the guards!" There were a few protests as the orc let Galmak inside. The man slammed the door with a huff. "Damn people impeding my business," he muttered.

The shop was small but orderly, mostly consisting of long, pristinely-hewn samples of the various types of logs and cut lumber the company could provide. The fresh, sharp scent of sawn wood hung in the air. The man locked the door firmly and rounded on Galmak.

"Alright," he said, crossing his arms. "I'm listening now. Ya said you're wanting to buy my slave?"

Galmak shifted. "Well… I might be wanting to buy your slave. It all depends. Nice shop you've got here." He looked around casually. "I'm Galmak, by the way. I didn't catch your name?"

The man snorted. "Varag. And it's not my shop; it's my brother's. I'm runnin' it here for a few months while he's away." He started toward a doorway set in the back wall. "Suppose you'll be wanting to see the thing."

Galmak's face darkened but his voice remained cool. "Of course."

The man led him up a narrow stairway to the small living quarters above the shop. The place looked as though it had been left clean and tidy by the last occupant, but wouldn't remain so for long. Already Varag had left dishes strewn across the small table and seemed to have dug the contents of a large trunk out all over the floor. The older orc grunted and kicked a battered shield out of his path. He jerked his head toward one corner of the room. A male draenei sat on a low bench, mending a piece of leather armor. His skin was dead white, his hair a startling contrast of jet black that fell in a few short locks around his face. The rest of his hair was pulled back into a long braid. The ridges of his forehead curved upward into short hornlike protrusions and three thick facial tendrils hung down over his chest. He was muscular, but Galmak thought he looked thinner than he should have for his size. The draenei looked up suddenly at the two orcs with wide glowing eyes, but quickly lowered his head and resumed his work.

"He's a good worker," Varag nodded toward the draenei. "Doesn't speak a damn word of orcish though. Don't suppose that's what they'd call a useful skill where he came from. Might have picked something up on his own over the years, but he's never let on he has. Most of the time I just hit him 'til he finally does the right thing." Varag laughed. He looked at Galmak sidelong. "So… how much are you thinkin'?"

_I'm thinking how much I'd like to hit you myself_. "You tell me."

"Well… it all depends, like you said," he answered slyly. "You see, I'm in something of a pinch. My brother's paying me to do his work here, but I could still use the extra gold. But you gotta make it worth my while, you know? I'll be losing all the work he does for me." Varag appeared to consider. "Dunno how you're gonna use him either. Wouldn't want him to go to someone who's gonna be cruel." He grinned. "If you're gonna use him hard you might have to make it even more worth my while to give him up."

Galmak scowled at the implication. "Just for work like that." He gestured toward the draenei, who was seemingly still absorbed in patching the armor.

"Alright then…" Varag named a figure. Galmak forced himself to laugh heartily.

"Guess you've never tried to sell him before," the hunter said. "You don't have any idea what to ask. Maybe I'll just head to Ratchet where I can get a good deal." He started back for the door, wishing that he really could get out of here. He felt sick, bargaining over the life of a person.

"Hold it, hold it," Varag waved his hands comically in distress. Perhaps he was more desperate than he let on, Galmak thought. "Alright. I can see ya know what you're doing here. How about…" He named another figure, which Galmak judged to be more reasonable. He was instantly angry with himself for even knowing what "reasonable" meant here, but he shot back with another offer. Varag dithered a moment; then his impatience seemed to get the better of his greed. "Alright," the older orc finally said. "You got yourself a deal. I get your gold, you get my draenei."

Galmak wrote him up a note of withdrawal against his account in the bank of Orgrimmar. He'd been afraid Varag would want the hard cash, but the man seemed too thrilled with the amount to worry that he'd have to make a trip to the bank before he'd see his gold. The hunter tried not to think about how tight on gold they'd be for a while; this was more than worth the cost and he knew Hyara would agree.

"Merok!" Varag shouted. Galmak jumped. "That's what I call him," Varag said. "Dunno if he has a name of his own." The draenei set aside his mending, stood, and crossed the room obediently. He towered several heads taller than the green-haired orc. Varag produced an iron collar from inside the trunk on the floor and snapped it around the draenei's neck. The collar looked very much like the one Hyara had worn until so recently, with the addition of a long chain attached.

"Here ya go," Varag said to Galmak and handed him the end of the chain. Galmak took it as if it were a poisonous snake. "You're going with him!" Varag shouted again, staring up at the draenei. He jabbed a finger at Galmak. "You belong to him now! Eh, he'll figure it out," the orc said with a shrug. "Pleasure doing business with you."

Varag grinned at Galmak, who turned without a word and led the draenei down the stairs. Galmak felt as though his chest were on fire with the rage that burned inside him and he realized his eyes must be glowing with the blood fury. He forced himself to calm down before he stepped out into the street. He could scarcely believe that there were still people like Varag left in the world; he certainly hadn't wanted to believe it. _We're not all like that_, he wanted to say to Merok. Most orcs wouldn't be caught dead with an honorless little shit like Varag.

Galmak soon found that he was now the object of all the curiosity that had surrounded the owner of a draenei slave. People turned and stared as he walked as quickly as he could back down the Drag; more trailed behind in a growing troupe. He gently tugged the chain and pulled Merok up to walk next to him so he could keep a better eye on the draenei. A few of the bolder followers reached out tentatively to touch the man's muscular waving tail, but Merok seemed utterly unperturbed. Galmak thought with another pang of anger that the draenei was probably accustomed to this sort of thing.

"Do you speak orcish?" Galmak asked quietly. The draenei looked over at him uncomprehendingly. If he did speak orcish, he was so used to pretending otherwise that it would take more than a simple question to make him admit it. He might speak Common, but the street wasn't really the place to do any talking. Galmak decided to wait until they reached the inn to try anything else.

They at last shed their train of followers at the inn. Galmak breathed a sigh of relief until he saw the look on Lekka's face.

"_What_ is _this_?" she fumed as she crossed the common room.

"This is not something you need to worry about," he said gruffly and made for the stairs. She slapped a palm against his chest and stepped in front of him.

"Listen, _slavehandler_, I will worry about this because that…person…might be dangerous. However much I wish guarding your mate were someone else's job, it is mine. And I will do it!"

Galmak glared ferociously. "Never call me that again. Take your hands off me now; I won't warn you again."

"Then I am coming up with you." Lekka struggled to regain her professional composure. She would be tremendously glad when this troublesome couple were out of the city and off her hands.

Galmak marched up the stairs and over a few doors to their room with Merok demurely in tow. Lekka followed sullenly but stopped before they reached the room, choosing to remain in the hallway unless a commotion called her inside. Galmak knocked twice in warning, then pushed the door open a crack. Hyara was sitting near the window composing her report of the meeting with Thrall for Remta and the rest of the Kanrethad. She looked up and smiled at Galmak. He slipped inside and shut the door after a quick backward glance and a signal to Merok to stay where he was. Lekka would surely stop the draenei if he tried to leave.

"Did you have a little fun out on your own?" Hyara teased. He smiled and sat down next to her.

"Hyara," he began. "While you were in talking with Thrall I heard about a draenei slave in the city."

"Oh no." She looked down at her lap. "I don't suppose…" He held up a hand and she stopped.

"I do suppose," he said. "I went out and found him while you were sleeping. It, uh… it drained our gold pretty good. But I figured we'd help him get away from here; what do you think?"

Hyara threw her arms around him. "I think you're the best person I could ever hope to know."

He rubbed his hands gently over her back. "You're going to need to talk to him in draenei. He doesn't seem to speak any orcish."

She nodded. Galmak crossed once more to the door. Merok was standing outside, head bowed, staring patiently at the floor. Lekka was eyeing him coldly nearby. Galmak beckoned to the draenei, who came immediately into the room.

Hyara felt her stomach lurch into her throat as the man walked into the room. Here was the reality of what she had been pretending until not so many weeks ago. He looked over at her and the mask dropped away from his face for a moment; she saw surprise, loneliness, and perhaps a hint of relief in his eyes. Galmak dug a key out of his pocket and removed the man's collar, tossing it aside.

"Do you speak draenei?" she asked quietly, a little shyly.

This time the loneliness and relief were unmistakable. He nodded slowly, almost in disbelief. "Of course."

"I… I'm Hyara."

"My last master called me Merok. That's the only name I've known for a very long time."

"Is that the name you prefer?"

"It's the name I use. The only one that matters." He remained motionless but his eyes swiveled toward Galmak where the orc stood nearby. "Doesn't he worry what we might be talking about?"

Hyara shook her head. "I'm not his slave, Merok; I'm his wife. You don't have anything to fear from us."

"Does he speak orcish?" Galmak asked suddenly.

Before Hyara could ask, Merok spoke. "No. I understand orcish after all these years. But I will never speak the language of beasts and animals."

_Beast_… _animal_… The words echoed down to Hyara from years ago. She licked her lips nervously. "Galmak is a good man. He would never hurt you. You're not a slave anymore, Merok; we're going to help you get away from here." She looked over to Galmak. "He understands orcish but doesn't speak it."

The orc looked puzzled, but he shrugged and nodded.

Merok stared at her blankly and she continued a little uncertainly. "You can go back to Exodar. Velen and the other draenei will always welcome you."

"Exodar? I have never been there." He looked a little frightened.

Hyara frowned. "How long have you been on Azeroth, Merok?"

"I was brought through the Dark Portal by my first master when it reopened. He was the orc who enslaved me as a child on Draenor. He is long dead now." The draenei's voice was flat and emotionless.

Light, a slave since childhood. "I… see." _But I don't, really. Five months of that almost killed me. How would I ever have survived a lifetime?_ She took a deep breath. "It doesn't matter that you've never been to Exodar. They'll welcome you. You'll be safe there; you can start a new life."

"Why would that orc not want me for a slave?" Merok asked. "Is there something wrong? Have I displeased him?"

Hyara felt a growing alarm. Had he not understood? "Merok, you don't have to be a slave anymore. That orc doesn't keep slaves. He brought you here so you would be able to leave and go free."

"But the orc beasts don't free slaves. Death frees slaves. I suffer and serve until their death or my own breaks the bond." He paused thoughtfully. "Does he fear to have me near you? He worries I will violate what he's claimed for his own?"

"No…" She felt tears welling. "Merok, please try to understand. It's evil for someone to say they own you. Most orcs don't own slaves. That orc -" she pointed at Galmak "-does not own slaves. He doesn't own me. He brought you away from your last master so you could leave here and never have anyone claim to own you again."

The male draenei stared down at the floor, a frown creasing his face. "I must think about this," he said after a moment and sank down to sit on the floor, folding his long legs beneath him. Hyara nodded and wiped a hand across her eyes. Galmak joined her as she sat down on the bed.

"He didn't understand at first," she whispered shakily. "He thinks orcs are… are beasts and would never free a slave. He thought I was your slave. I tried to make him see, but I'm still not sure he really understands."

Galmak tried to hide his shame and anger. Always it was like this: a corrupt and despicable few like Varag spoke so loudly that they could set the tone for how the rest of the world viewed his entire species. Suddenly it was too much and he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees so Hyara wouldn't see his face.

She slipped off the bed and knelt in front of him, her eyes full of distress. "Oh love, no…"

"I wonder if we'll ever shake this barbarism. I wonder if anyone will ever see us as anything but monsters. Not even Thrall can stop this shit."

"I know someone who did stop some of it," she whispered softly. "I know someone who made a draenei rethink everything she'd been taught to believe and turn all her expectations upside down. Do you think I fell in love with you because it made good sense? Because I thought my family would be thrilled, or that we'd have an easy time ahead of us? I fell in love with you because of the person you are. You made me see how wrong I was, how wrong people were when they told me orcs are animals and killers. You've shown me who your people truly are."

He smiled at her sadly. "I only hope you're right and we aren't just animals at heart, fooling ourselves."

Merok stirred behind them. "Hyara…" he said hesitantly, as if uncertain of the consequences for using her name. She stood and smiled at him encouragingly. He nodded to himself as if he'd made a decision. "I think I would like to see this Exodar. I would like to see others of my kind once again. I would be pleased to accompany the master and yourself there if you are going."

Hyara's smile faded a little and she expelled a long sigh. After a lifetime of belonging to someone else he still didn't understand that he had no master now. But perhaps it was a start. "We are traveling to Exodar, Merok. You can go with us if that's what you'd like. If you decide you're happy there, you can stay." She wondered what he would make of leaving Galmak behind once the time came; two draenei continuing on together without their "master." Maybe he would have realized by then. Hyara said a quick prayer to the Light.

* * *


	4. Part I: Ch 4: Trouble in Ashenvale

A/N: Big cheer for all my reviewers! I appreciate it, peoples.

* * *

They left Orgrimmar at dawn through the Talon Gate and over the next few days they traveled up the Southfury River into Ashenvale. Hyara felt a sense of unease brush over her mind as the towering trees closed in around them, shutting out the sky behind the dense leafy canopy. This was an ancient forest, fiercely guarded by the deadly and elusive night elf Sentinels. The Horde clung tenaciously to their meager holdings here, making for bloody and brutal confrontations with the night elves. Fallen leaves muffled hooves and paws on the road; the forest's wild sounds drifted with eerie clarity through the trees. Hyara hummed softly under her breath in hopes that it would soothe her edginess. At her side Galmak's eyes drifted watchfully over every tree, bush, and hillock. Gink and Palla trailed ghostlike through the underbrush. They would hopefully give the first alarm if anything were amiss.

Merok rode just behind them astride a scrawny nag they'd been able to find for sale in Orgrimmar. Hyara glanced back at the male draenei; he seemed unaffected, for good or ill, by his surroundings. The horse, on the other hand, didn't look like it would last much longer under his weight. She pulled to a halt and signaled to Merok to wait, then dismounted.

"Merok, take my horse for now. He can hold your weight better."

Hyara's horse whickered disquietedly at the unfamiliar rider, but Merok spoke a few soft words and the animal calmed. Hyara smiled.

"Where did you learn to handle horses, Merok?" she asked.

"My second master," he replied. "He kept a stable in Ratchet. He taught me for several years before Varag bought me. I liked the animals, but I was glad to leave."

Hyara sighed. "I'm sorry to ask you questions that bring back painful memories."

"You don't need to apologize. I… I feel I am happier now. This master… he doesn't seem cruel, does he? My second master was cruel. He hated me because of the way his mate used me. I was too valuable to kill so he killed her instead and sold me to Varag."

Hyara's knuckles were white as she gripped the reins. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. "His name is Galmak, Merok. You can call him that. I swear he will never, ever be cruel to you. Please try to believe me." A sudden thought struck her. "Merok… do you consider 'master' another word for 'orc'?"

He frowned faintly. "Orcs have always been masters to me. Masters have always been orcs. I have never seen any difference."

It was almost enough to make Hyara smile, even after what Merok had just told her. Maybe he was learning after all that Galmak was not his owner; the draenei was simply using a word he considered interchangeable with "orc." The thought was slightly encouraging, even if it was still disturbing. Hyara looked ahead at Galmak. She could practically see his ears swiveling curiously in their direction and she wished she wouldn't have to recount this conversation for him later.

Once twilight fell it rapidly deepened to velvet blackness between the thick trees. They camped at a spot Galmak remembered well from his earlier travels in the forest, a tiny area clear of brush, sheltered behind a low rise and screened by a massive fallen tree trunk. Getting here meant trekking through dense undergrowth a considerable distance from the road, and he'd never seen any evidence that anyone but he and Palla had ever used the spot.

"Safer not to build a fire," he said, and Hyara nodded.

_When did I get so paranoid?_ she thought ruefully, but she knew the answer. They settled down to eat a cold supper in the dark. Palla turned a full circle at Galmak's side, her nose sniffing the air, then curled up to sleep. Somewhere in the black forest Gink prowled restlessly around them, determined to stay on watch. Merok laid down and fell asleep on the hard ground almost immediately. Hyara sighed and covered his sleeping form with a blanket before she curled into the crook of Galmak's arm.

"I'm going to stay awake for a while," he breathed into her ear. "Just to make sure things stay quiet."

She kissed his cheek. "Gink will wake me to take over when it's time." She looked up at the forest's roof high overhead in the shadows. A few stars poked dimly through the faintly rustling boughs. The wind blew cool and soft across her face and lulled her into dreamless sleep.

* * *

_Hyara._

She blinked away sleep. _I'm awake. Get some rest now, Gink_.

_There are people coming toward you._

She was instantly fully alert. She gave Galmak's arm a firm squeeze, their signal to wake silently and be prepared for trouble. His eyes snapped open and his look sent her a silent question.

Gink felt closer now. _Alliance. Two humans, a dwarf, a night elf._

Galmak cursed silently when she told him and sent Palla slinking off into the shadows. They must be making for this spot; there was no other conceivable reason to come this direction off the road. Obviously he was no longer the only person to know about this place.

"There isn't much we can do," Hyara whispered. Their mounts stood nearby, a few of their packs sat open on the ground, and Merok still slept soundly.

"We'll just have to hope they're only looking for a little rest like we are," Galmak said grimly. He pulled his axes and bow within reach, but still far enough away to hopefully not look overtly hostile.

They could now hear a sustained rustling in the undergrowth growing steadily closer. A horse whickered, then was silenced. Hyara strained her eyes and senses to make out black figures emerging from behind the rotting trunk. The leading figure halted abruptly with a sharp intake of breath and the others halted as well, suddenly tense.

"Hello," Hyara called quietly in Common. "We're willing to share this spot. Will you join us?" She held her breath.

A tall dark shape stepped around to the front. "Who are you?" a voice asked harshly.

"We're only travelers, as you are, who want to sleep quietly and find no trouble."

A shorter figure melded out of the shadows where it had gone unnoticed, perfectly concealed by the brush. "Ye sound draenei?" it said.

"Yes," Hyara answered.

The tall figure spoke again. "I smell orc," came the harsh voice. The others stirred uneasily.

"I'm not looking for any trouble," Galmak's voice rumbled low at Hyara's side. There was a hissing intake of breath from the newcomers. They murmured among themselves for a few seconds and then abruptly a weird greenish light sprang up, illuminating the face of a human woman. Her dark eyes and hair glittered in the eerie glow.

"Just three? One orc," she said, almost as if to herself.

The night elf's face was now visible in the light, his angular features thrown into sharp relief. He glanced down at Merok, who apparently still slept like a stone, and then frowned at Hyara. "Why do you camp with an orc, draenei?"

The woman made an impatient gesture. "Does it matter, Kelius? You may be ready to travel all night, but the rest of us are not. We'll share this spot if we must."

There were a few grumbled protests from the night elf, but the rest of the group seemed to share the woman's sentiment and began spreading bedrolls and blankets on the ground. The priestess closed her hand with a tight flourishing gesture and snuffed the eerie green light. Hyara lay back down and listened to the low hiss of voices in the darkness until at last the forest was still again.

"Go back to sleep, love. I'll watch first." Her whisper was barely a breath in Galmak's ear. He nodded and settled himself for uneasy sleep.

The hours passed slowly. Hyara felt Gink curl up in the undergrowth nearby and finally close his eyes for a while. She lay very still so she could listen, but only Ashenvale's night sounds and the men's heavy breathing reached her ears. She felt weariness beginning to settle on her and she shrugged it back. Soon she'd wake Galmak and let him take over…

Faint starlight glinted above her. It flashed suddenly. Hyara's vision seemed to dim and narrow as her body reacted before her mind had even realized what she'd seen. She rolled to the side, throwing herself over Galmak and sprawling on top of him. He awoke with a grunt. Hyara lay breathing heavily with her own scream dying in her ears, feeling a sharp tickling pain growing in her back. Something wet soaked her shirt and trickled down her side.

"What the bloody 'ell…" a voice said. More voices joined in; the green glow flared once more. Hyara turned her head and saw Merok standing over her, his huge fist wrapped around the neck of the struggling night elf. The elf dropped a sword with a dull thud on the leafy ground. The very tip of the blade was smeared with blue.

"What happened here?" the priestess asked sharply. "Let him go!" she said to Merok. The draenei remained motionless, staring unfathomably at the elf.

Hyara took a breath that burned like fire. "Merok," she managed in draenei. "Let him go." The man released his captive abruptly and the night elf staggered backward. She struggled to push herself up. Galmak started to help her, but she winced and shook her head. "I think we'd better ask him what happened." She gestured angrily at the night elf.

The priestess frowned. "Kelius? Can you tell us?"

The elf pointed at Galmak. "Only trying to clean up some of the trash in our forest, Lila."

"Can't say I entirely disagree, but I don't care much fer yer sneaky methods." The dwarf glared between the orc and the elf.

"More like you should have killed them both," the other human yawned. "Any Alliance who would die for a Horde should be given the opportunity."

"That's what happened, is it," the priestess said grimly, eyeing the dark blood on Hyara's shirt.

"Let me see," Galmak said softly. Hyara hissed in pain as he gently pulled the back of her shirt away from the wound. "It doesn't look too bad. Not very deep." _Thanks to Merok_. Galmak glanced up; the draenei hadn't moved from where he stood over them, but his eyes were still locked on Kelius and followed the elf's every move.

Gold light shone briefly around Hyara's hands and the shallow wound began to close, then she calmly turned her eyes on the priestess. "We made no move against you. We offered to share this place with you for the night and in return you try to murder us in our sleep?"

Lila looked uncomfortable, but her voice was stern. "Is what Cal said true? Did you protect the orc?"

"Yes," Hyara answered. "But the rest of what he said isn't true. I'm not with the Alliance. My oath is to an Outland faction friendly to both the Alliance and the Horde. There is no reason I shouldn't be traveling with an orc, or with anyone else I choose."

Lila's eyes narrowed. "And him?" She nodded to Merok.

"It's the same with him," Hyara lied.

"Care to prove it?" Kelius sneered. "Even if it is true, I still see no reason why we shouldn't remove this particular blight from existence." He scuffed his foot toward Galmak where the orc still sat on the ground, kicking up a spray of dirt and leaves.

"I can prove it," Hyara shot back. She dragged her pack over and rummaged until she found the letter from Velen and the council inviting her to Exodar. She handed it to Lila. _Please don't notice there's no mention of Galmak and Merok…_

Either the priestess didn't notice or she chose not to comment. "Kanrethad. Never heard of them. But it does seem to be true; she's a neutral emissary and she's expected in Exodar." She looked sharply at the night elf. "Kelius, get over here now before you do something even stupider and I'm forced to blast you into oblivion."

The night elf retrieved his blade from the ground and shot another malefic look at Galmak before slinking back behind the ball of green light. Hyara felt Galmak's hand find hers and give it a squeeze and she realized her hands were shaking. The impact of what had just happened –and what had almost just happened- was beginning to hit her.

Lila's sharp dark eyes studied them for a moment. "Alright," she said. "Since you seem to be telling the truth I suppose we'll have to leave you alone. But I suggest you get away from here tonight. I won't be held responsible for any further idiocy from Kelius. He is terribly protective of his ancestral homeland, as you know by now."

Hyara sighed. A hair's breadth from being murdered in their sleep, and now kicked unceremoniously from their resting spot with many hours of deep black night ahead and an Alliance settlement down the road. The two hunters rose wearily and packed up their things under the hostile eyes of the Alliance group.

"We've got to move on. They won't let us stay here," Hyara whispered for Merok's benefit. He merely nodded and helped saddle the mounts. They had no fear of getting lost; Gink and Palla could find the way in the dark almost as easily as in daylight. But in the still night it seemed as though they thundered their way back through the undergrowth to the road, and there was no chance they wouldn't be heard if any more hostile things lurked in the darkness. Once they reached the relative smoothness of the road Hyara urged her horse up next to Galmak's wolf.

"We could try going straight through Astranaar tonight," she said quietly. "I could approach them on my own and show them Velen's letter, get their promise that they'll let you pass…" She sighed and shook her head even as Galmak did.

"That might work in daylight, but there's no telling what they'd do if you show up in the dead of night. We'll just have to be quiet about finding a new spot to camp somewhere here and hope that bunch doesn't find us again." Galmak felt his cursed orc's temper rising as he again caught sight of the dried blood on Hyara's shirt. He was usually a patient man, but when it came to his wife's safety those people would find they had a very dangerous orc on their hands if they came looking for further trouble.

"I suppose you're right," Hyara conceded, then huffed in frustration. "We may not be able to go through Astranaar at all now, daylight or not. That group will probably warn them not to let us through. We'll have to go around to the north."

He nodded. "Well, look at it this way. If we're careful about it we can save some time by cutting that corner. There are some pretty distinct paths up that way; the Horde uses them all the time. We'll just have to keep a closer eye out. No more using my so-called safe spots."

"Oh, Galmak…" She trailed her fingers fondly down his cheek. "It wasn't your fault." She pulled her horse back for a moment. "Merok, thank you for what you did back there. You saved both of our lives."

The draenei nodded. "I did what needed to be done. I… I didn't want them to kill you. Or the master." His eyes glowed softly at her in the darkness. "Anyone who harms you will come to harm."

Hyara laid a hand on his arm and gave it a gentle squeeze in thanks.

They traveled as far as they could manage, but before very long Palla found a spot that looked like it might work for the rest of the night. Hyara's mind wheeled in weary circles as she flopped down once again on the ground. It was disconcerting to feel as though the Alliance were an enemy. She was no stranger to that feeling after several years of being married to Galmak, but it still shouldn't have been that way. She couldn't help wondering if it would have made any difference if Galmak weren't Horde. The Alliance's prejudices ran just as deep as anything she'd seen in Orgrimmar. And Merok? He fit in nowhere yet. Would he be able to adapt to living among his own kind after so many years as a slave in the Horde?

Galmak cut through her thoughts suddenly. "Hyara… sleep. You're not going to solve anything tonight." He kissed her and she finally closed her eyes.

* * *


	5. Part I: Ch 5: Reception

* * *

They plodded wanly on their way the next morning, unrefreshed by the meager sleep they'd been able to catch. As Galmak had said, the trails north of Astranaar were well-established, and they managed to make good time while also skirting Alliance activity and some of the forest's more dangerous areas. Hyara breathed a sigh of relief as finally the watchful tower of Maestra's Post receded behind a rise and they rejoined the main road. At last they were nearing Darkshore and the home stretch before their destination.

As the forest darkened and Darkshore's coastal mist began to creep in among the trees and curl across the road, Hyara felt her anxiety for Galmak's safety deepen. Ashenvale might be dangerous, but it had a strong Horde presence. This, however, was enemy territory to him. She cringed, remembering back years ago when they'd come here on their way to Galmak's first visit with her family. It had all been so new, so exciting, before they'd fully understood the danger they faced together from their own people. It had seemed like a harmless adventure after the true horror they had recently survived. Hyara understood better now. She steered the little group off the path and led them westward through the trees until the grey ocean sighed ahead of them, then turned north once again.

Galmak just looked at her and shrugged. "This'll take longer. It's your schedule to meet."

"If I'm late, what will I lose? Some standing, maybe? I might be a little embarrassed? If we run into anything we can't handle on the road, what will I lose then? The ship won't leave 'til tonight. We have the time to be cautious." She glared at him reproachfully and he chuckled, relenting.

"Alright, alright, woman," he grinned.

They traveled more quickly than they ever could have off the road in Ashenvale. The creeping dimness and harsh sea air here conspired to thin the undergrowth and make the forest floor more passable. Hyara sensed a quiet feral excitement from Gink and she silently urged him to roam a little further than he would have normally. This forest was his home, a part of him the way Azuremyst would always be a part of her no matter how far she went or what oath of allegiance bound her.

_Auberdine, dead ahead._ Palla appeared over a rise and loped back to Galmak. The sun was sliding down the grey sky and dropping slowly into the ocean, sending watery orange light sifting through her fur. Hyara's shadow fell black across Galmak's riding wolf. He squinted at her against the setting sun as he pulled to a halt.

"Guess this is it for me. The outlying Sentinel patrols are about ten minutes away," he said.

She made a face. "I hate leaving you here. I'm going to worry every minute that they'll catch you." She dismounted and he jumped down and caught her in his arms.

"No one's going to catch me, love. You just go do what you need to and I'll be right here when you get back, lounging around being lazy with Palla."

Hyara laughed. "If only I could believe it. Don't you dare get into any trouble, alright? Don't go looking for any excitement."

He kissed her long and passionately before they were finally reminded of Merok nearby when his horse stamped the ground restlessly. Hyara clung to Galmak in one last hug before she nodded to Merok and they rode away through the trees toward the night elf village. She turned back and blew a kiss to her husband before he was lost in the growing darkness.

Auberdine's lights glowed like blue stars before them. The long pier hulked black and brooding over the water like the tail of some giant creature, its lights reflected in wavering pools below. Hyara and Merok trotted out from under the trees and down a hill to wind their way between the village's outlying houses and into the center of town. Hyara was tired and she could tell Merok was too, but there would be no time to rest in the inn; the ship for Azuremyst was scheduled to leave within the hour after sunset. Merok's eyes held a voracious curiosity, but he glanced around furtively as if he were afraid to show his interest.

Hyara sighed. "You don't need to be afraid to look around, Merok. Just be sure to stay close by me."

He looked abashed. "I'm sorry. I have never been to a village like this and I'm not used to being able to observe things freely. Varag always beat me for showing too much curiosity." Hyara winced; Merok didn't notice and continued hesitantly. "Hyara, is the master not afraid we won't return?"

Hyara pursed her lips. "Well… he knows I will return. But did you know that you don't have to? I'm taking you to Exodar so you can stay there if you want."

Merok frowned and shook his head. "You did say that before, but I didn't know what to make of it. How can I truly leave the master? You tell me I can be free, but he bought me from Varag just as Varag bought me from my last master. What is different now? And… I cannot leave you if you may be in danger," he finished quietly.

"Why would you think I'm in danger? I'm among friends here and where we're going." She sighed and considered for a moment. "Galmak bought you because it was the only way to get you away from Varag. Not because he believed that your life could ever belong to him. You… you don't speak orcish, Merok, but you understand it and you could speak it if you chose to. To communicate with someone best you must speak the language they understand best. Varag understood gold. Galmak realized that the only way you could ever be free would be to pay your master gold, so he did."

"And Hyara, why did he do that? I have never known an orc to care what happened to me, but it seems… it seems as if Galmak must have cared," he said in puzzlement.

Hyara smiled in the darkness. "Galmak is an exceptional person. He knew you were suffering and he couldn't stand that. And he loves me very much and knew I wouldn't want to see another draenei suffering in slavery."

Merok stared at her raptly for a moment in silence. The pier jutted away from the shore ahead of them with the inn standing nearby. How good it would have felt to go in for a few moments and rest, but Hyara knew that time was short and they needed to go on down to the ship moored at the end of the pier and get their horses loaded aboard. The voyage to Azuremyst would take the night and the thought of a soft bed waiting for her on the ship was enough to push her on. She only wished that Galmak could be there to share it with her.

As they passed the inn, a large figure emerged from the warm glow of the doorway and approached them in the darkness near the head of the pier. Hyara recognized the bulk of a draenei man and she urged her horse into the pool of light from a lantern so she could see the newcomer. She gasped in delighted astonishment and leapt off her horse into the man's warm hug.

"Hyara, my little granddaughter." She heard the smile in her grandfather's voice and he kissed her on the top of her head.

She pulled back and grinned up at him. "What in Azeroth are you doing here? I never expected to be met in Auberdine…"

He smiled. "Well, this is not precisely an official greeting. More a greeting from an old grandfather who hasn't seen his granddaughter in far too long. But also…" He glanced now at Merok and frowned. "Where is your husband? I hope you did not leave him too far away."

Hyara smiled in delight. "No, he isn't far. I didn't realize he'd be allowed to come after all! I never got an answer."

"No… you got no answer because there was no time to send one. The council was… not pleased. It took Velen's own approval to settle the matter."

"Oh, Grandfather…" She threw her arms around him again.

He lowered his voice. "Who is this, granddaughter?"

Hyara bit her lip and her brow furrowed. She didn't like having to explain. "His name is Merok," she said quietly, switching to Common. "He was… he was a slave Galmak found in Orgrimmar. We brought him here in hopes that he might make a life for himself in Exodar."

Her grandfather's face darkened and he expelled a long breath before he turned and addressed the other man in draenei. "I am Teleum, Hyara's grandfather. You will be welcome in Exodar, Merok." Merok's eyes were fixed on the older man in apprehension.

"It's alright, Merok," Hyara said reassuringly. "This is my mother's father, and you'll be safe with him. I have to go find Galmak. Will you stay here for a few moments until I come back?"

Merok frowned. "If you say I will be safe here, I will be. But you may not be safe to go back on your own. Will you please let me accompany you, Hyara?"

Hyara was on the verge of arguing, but she shrugged and nodded. They didn't have time to stand around and debate her ability to make a few minutes' ride alone in the dark. Her grandfather raised his eyebrows, but he nodded and said, "Hurry then, Hyara; go get him. There's very little time until the ship leaves. I will tell the captain you're coming." He smiled thinly. "And yes, he has been informed that his ship will be carrying an orc tonight." His hooves beat loud and firm down the wooden pier toward the ship. Hyara turned away with a smile and cantered back into the darkness outside of town.

Galmak wasn't exactly where she'd left him; he'd found a thick clump of bushes further from the shoreline and had lit a small fire to push back the chill mist. Palla's eyes gleamed at the two draenei as they approached and the wolf sprinted off with Gink at her tail to inform her master.

He looked worried. "Is something wrong?" he called as they reached the little campfire.

"Nothing's wrong at all." She grinned. "Put out the fire; you're coming to Exodar!" His mouth fell open in astonishment and Hyara laughed.

"Uh… so how did that happen?" he asked.

"You can thank my grandfather," she said with a smile of pride.

The orc grunted in surprise. He'd been under the distinct impression that Hyara's grandfather would far rather send him through a mage portal to the twisting nether than have him near her. Regardless, Galmak was going to learn how Hyara had felt riding into Orgrimmar.

"And you thought Bernkh was sadistic," he said dryly. Hyara just laughed.

The ship's dwarf captain was, after all, not too concerned to be ferrying an orc to Azuremyst Isle. Perhaps it was because he was something of an anomaly himself; not very many dwarves chose to forego the solid stone and leaping fires of their mountain homes for the flighty cold of the open sea. Galmak found himself standing on deck as the ship set sail, talking a little stiltedly but amicably enough with the captain. As it turned out, the man was curious about the orc hunter and his draenei wife. Hyara's grandfather, on the other hand, had greeted Galmak perfunctorily and then promptly ignored him since. Clearly there was room for improvement there, Galmak thought sardonically.

Hyara covered a yawn and rested her arms on the deck rail as the dark horizon swallowed Auberdine's lights. She heard hooves behind her and Teleum came to stand at his granddaughter's side.

"I haven't spoken with you since you decided to leave the Alliance, Hyara," he said quietly. "I'd like you to tell me about it."

Hyara frowned slightly. "It wasn't a decision I made lightly, Grandfather. You might even say I made the decision years ago and only recently had to face it. But it was more than just leaving… it was joining with something else that I believe in."

"You don't feel that you have forsworn your loyalty to the Prophet?"

"No." She shook her head adamantly. "The Prophet led us before we knew the Alliance existed. He's brought us through countless years and worlds with no one but ourselves and the naaru to guide us. Separating myself from the Alliance doesn't mean that I no longer follow Velen. Grandfather… surely he understands that?"

Teleum smiled gravely. "I believe the Prophet does understand that, Hyara." He sighed. "The difficulty may lie in what the council understands."

"Oh…" She swallowed, then said in a small voice, "Grandfather… do they see me as a traitor?"

"I worry." His voice held a touch of grimness. "The Kanrethad are Broken; they are our brothers in the Light, whether they are able to touch it anymore or not. I –and Velen too- understand that you have devoted yourself to a cause that is merely another branch of our own. But I want you to understand that there are those on the council who see your new oath in conjunction with your marriage to an orc and feel that you may represent new ideas dangerous to the draenei and dangerous to our standing within the Alliance. You must be prepared for this attitude."

"Now I feel as if I'm headed toward a trial," Hyara frowned.

"Nothing of the sort, granddaughter. Velen welcomes you and has chosen to tolerate your husband, and the council would never gainsay him. But you must make yourself ready for a certain amount of hostility and distrust from some in Exodar."

"Grandfather, I'm sorry if I've made trouble for you on the council," she sighed.

He smiled and kissed her forehead. "Your life is your own. Hyara, you have strength that many do not. I wouldn't wish you to be any other way."

She brushed away a tear in the darkness and silently thanked the Light for his understanding.

* * *


	6. Part I: Ch 6: An Old Wound Reopened

A/N: Woot, I just finished Part II! But anyway, on with Part I...

* * *

They slipped in with the morning mist to make port at Azuremyst Isle. Exodar reared up in the distance, the pearl-white bulk of the ship gleaming in the sunrise and sparkling with crystals in shades of purple and blue. Galmak had seen it before, but only as a ghostly mountain in the darkness. Now he rode into the city with Hyara and Merok at his side and her grandfather leading on a great elekk, surrounded by Alliance guards. It was a place like nothing he'd dreamed existed, despite Hyara's descriptions. Everywhere crystals pulsed with light; the very air had a feeling of light and tranquility that he'd always associated with Hyara's beautiful healing spell. They descended a broad curving ramp with a crystalline floor clear as glass. The city spread out below them through the crystal, its people moving in miniature across the wide open tiers and stairs. A faint musical hum underlay the more ordinary sounds of merchants' voices and clattering hooves, as if the Exodar itself had life of its own. And everywhere Galmak was astonished by the order and calm that he saw. Where Orgrimmar was a riot of bustle with floods of people going about the colorful and disorderly business of life, here a sparse population trickled serenely in and out of shops and homes.

"It seems so huge for how few people there are," he whispered. Too late, Galmak realized why that was so and wished he could recall his comment. Of course Exodar had been built for a much larger population; all of Tempest Keep had been.

Hyara rubbed her forehead and her brow furrowed minutely. "Yes, but… don't bring that up with anyone else, love," she whispered back. Poor Galmak; he looked angry with himself now. Hyara reached out and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. She looked over in time to see Merok nearly fall out of his saddle from craning his neck so much. His eyes were wide with wonder and apprehension. Only the guards surrounding them betrayed no emotion, but that in itself told Hyara volumes. Draenei were naturally a warm if somewhat reticent people and she feared what this stony façade must be hiding about their feelings regarding the orc they were escorting.

"You will be staying at the inn overlooking the Seat of the Naaru," her grandfather said over his shoulder. "A room can be arranged for Merok as well."

The innkeeper had surely been told he'd be housing an orc, but as they came in the door he shot Galmak such a look that the orc thought he'd been hit with a curse. Hyara didn't notice and smiled at the man. She beckoned Merok after her and approached the innkeeper to arrange an extra room. Merok seemed uneasy and Galmak would have liked to reassure him, but he knew the draenei wouldn't speak to him.

Teleum pulled his granddaughter aside once she'd finished speaking with the innkeeper.

"Hyara…" he began. He looked uncomfortable. "Your husband is not going to be allowed to roam around the city."

She nodded. "Well, of course. He'll understand. Will he be allowed to see it under guard?"

"The invitation doesn't extend even that far, granddaughter. He is an enemy here, you must remember. It was only as a courtesy to you that he was allowed in at all. He will have to remain here for the duration of your stay and he will be heavily guarded."

Hyara frowned, feeling torn. It didn't feel fair that Galmak would have to stay bottled up in the inn like a prisoner. She was indignant that he was being treated like a dangerous presence, but of course in the eyes of nearly everyone here he was, and she did understand her people's reservations even though she didn't agree with them.

"It is as much for his protection as for anyone else's," her grandfather said gently. Hyara knew that wasn't strictly true, but she nodded resignedly.

"I'm grateful he's gotten to see at least a little of it," she said. And she was. Without her grandfather's intervention with the Prophet, Galmak would have been camped in Darkshore right now. Hyara gathered up the pale gold skirts of her dress and went off to find Galmak in their room. She exclaimed in delight as she stepped in the door and saw that they'd been given one of the rooms against the inn's outer wall. The inn was set on a landing of the ramp that curved high above the Seat of the Naaru in Exodar's core. Galmak stood leaning on the low wall of a tiny balcony overlooking the heart of the city. He turned and grinned at his wife as she joined him on the balcony.

"This is quite a place," he said.

Hyara laughed. " 'Quite a place,' hmm?" she teased.

"Utterly different. I don't really know what to say. It's about as opposite of Orgrimmar as I could imagine." His eyes followed the streamers of gold and purple light wafting upward from the depths of the city-ship's core. "What is that?" He pointed toward the light.

"There's a huge spiral ramp that winds way down to where O'ros is; that's his light. He's Exodar's naaru. He powers some of the ship's systems."

Galmak shook his head slowly in wonderment, trying to take in all he saw. Cascades of purple light shimmered in the air before him; the rich melodic sound of the draenei language echoed softly in the cavernous open city. "Not even Shattrath is this impressive."

Hyara smiled, but she said modestly, "Shattrath wasn't designed to be a ship. But… I have some bad news, love. You're not going to be allowed out of the inn."

"Oh…" He shrugged, disappointed but not wanting to show it and make her feel worse. "That stands to reason. Like I said, I'm still the evil enemy. It's impressive that your grandfather got me in here at all." He tugged her tail and pulled her close. "Besides, I can see the city from here."

* * *

Merok was virtually overwhelmed by everything he saw. He'd never known of an entire city of draenei on Azeroth – free draenei. Hyara had coaxed him out of his room in the inn and was trying to help him overcome his reticence by showing him some of Exodar's sights.

"I have not seen so many of my own kind since I was a child," Merok said in an awed whisper. Long ingrained habit and fear kept him from staring long at anything, but Hyara persisted in pointing out everything she could think of so that he was sure to take it all in.

"This is most of the population that came to Azeroth with Velen just before the Portal opened again," she explained. "We were coming here on the Exodar at about the same time you must have come through the Portal. This ship has become home to most of the draenei on Azeroth." And it felt good to be back here among so many of her own people, she had to admit, after not setting hoof in Exodar for nearly four years. It was refreshing to feel so at ease after Orgrimmar and then their days of travel, and definitely a welcome change to have only one guard trailing her at a discreet distance. That probably wasn't even necessary, but was merely a reasonable precaution.

They were leaving the Crystal Hall when Merok asked his first question. "Hyara, you said that there is a naaru in Exodar." He hesitated, then continued in a rush, "May I see the naaru? I have never seen one before." His face suddenly went blank and he stared down at the floor.

Hyara stopped. "Merok. Look at me." The man looked up immediately, and she saw a mix of anxiety and shame in his eyes. "You don't need to be afraid anymore. You're beyond the reach of anyone who ever wanted to harm you. You don't need to be afraid to ask questions or to do what makes you happy, and you don't need to worry about displeasing me or Galmak or anyone else. You're free to do as you wish within the rules that we've made for ourselves here."

Merok turned and let his eyes rest on the purple light drifting sinuously upward from the city's core. "I'm doing my best to remember that. It has been a very long time since I paid any heed to my own needs. And now I begin to see that there are orcs – must have been orcs all those years- who are disgusted by the things my masters did to me." He shook his head and then, to Hyara's surprise, a faint smile appeared on his lips. "It is all very confusing. Please be patient with me, Hyara."

She smiled. "You'll learn. But in the meantime, yes, I think we should be able to go down to see O'ros. People often go there to meditate and pray; we won't be disturbing him unless something has changed I don't know about."

They descended the long ramp that spiraled deep beneath the main levels of the city. Merok seemed apprehensive, but his steps never faltered at Hyara's side. They rounded the last curve and emerged into an open area surrounded by the ramp's high walls. There were people scattered across the crystal floor, bathed in violet light and sitting or kneeling in prayer. Most were draenei, but there were a few other races of the Alliance among them who answered the call of the Light. Hyara heard Merok's faint intake of breath as his eyes took in the naaru hovering above the dais in the center of the room. O'ros was a crystalline being of radiant light, of the Light itself, with an intricate snowflake-like form that twisted and danced in complex, shifting patterns around a brilliant golden core. Merok stared for a moment as if in a trance, but suddenly he crossed the floor in several long strides and stopped motionless in front of O'ros. Hyara almost followed to bring him back, but then she realized that Merok would never have made such a bold move on his own. She folded her legs beneath her and sat down to wait patiently.

After a few moments she felt a gentle tug on her mind. She rose and walked over to Merok's side to kneel deferentially before the naaru. She felt the delicate inquisitive probing that meant O'ros was asking permission to enter her mind. Hyara remembered how unnerving it had been the first time she'd felt it, but by now it was a familiar – and even comforting- feeling, and she assented readily.

_It has been years, Hyara_, O'ros said warmly.

She smiled. _Not too many years. But it does feel like a long time since I've been here._

He seemed to grow contemplative. _Yes… much has happened, I see. You have returned a lost son to his people; that is cause for rejoicing._

_I worry about him, O'ros. Will he adjust?_

There was a sense of amusement from the naaru. _Only the Prophet can answer that. But Merok is strong, as you are. You are doing well, Hyara. Does that old wound trouble you?_ O'ros asked suddenly.

She tried to hide her discomfort even though she knew it was a futile effort. So her scar couldn't be hidden from the naaru. _No… not since the earliest days after it happened, _she answered. _Why do you ask?_

He hesitated, then answered, _The scar is different_. She winced at the near-perfect echo of words from three years ago. O'ros rushed to calm the sudden fear he felt in her. _If it has given you no trouble and no one else has ever noticed, you can be sure any lingering taint is of no consequence. Only a naaru would notice, Hyara, and a naaru would also be capable of seeing that it matters not at all._

Despite his reassurances, it was a disturbing thought. The realization that O'ros could sense a taint in her body, however tiny and supposedly inconsequential, made her skin crawl.

_Don't worry about it any further, _the naaru soothed._ I regret now that I called your attention to it._

Hyara could sense the naaru's regret, certainly, but the damage was done. She asked a little desperately, _But O'ros, is there any chance it could still…?_

_There is no chance of that, Hyara. You appear to have surmounted the danger years ago and that wound will not make you revisit it_, he answered firmly. _Think nothing more of it. You have a duty to do here; you should not be distracted._ His voice in her mind softened once again. _Go in the Light, daughter. See that Merok finds his life and his heritage in the Light again._

She rose and turned to see that Merok had left her side at some point and was sitting on the floor, waiting for her as she had been for him. They ascended the ramp in silence. Hyara rubbed her forehead, willing away the faint headache she hadn't been able to get rid of since entering the city that morning. When she snuck a glance at Merok she saw that his brow was furrowed with some inscrutable emotion. She wondered if whatever O'ros had told him had been as disturbing as what she'd learned about herself. And then there was another disturbing question to trouble her: should she tell Galmak?

* * *


	7. Part I: Ch 7: Things to Consider

* * *

Hyara did tell Galmak what O'ros had said. She had never found it easy to hide anything at all from her husband. She couldn't look at him for a moment after she'd finished recounting her conversation with O'ros; she didn't want to see his fear or revulsion, even though she knew he'd try to hide it.

Galmak remained silent. He wasn't quite sure how he felt about the naaru, and usually avoided any discussion of them with his wife. He knew they were an important part of her deep faith in the Light and the last thing he wanted was to offend her, but it was this very fact that made him so uneasy. Galmak found it quietly alarming that the naaru tacitly allowed the draenei to essentially worship them. Perhaps the naaru were worthy of that; who was he to judge? But for better or worse, something in his gut urged caution.

Hyara at last brought herself to look up and saw only a thoughtful frown on his face.

"So… he says your healing didn't get rid of all the taint; that it must've left something behind. But nothing's ever come of it in three years, so it must be nothing to worry about," he finally said.

Hyara nodded.

Galmak frowned again and crossed his arms. "Then I can't understand why he told you."

"He told me because it's something I needed to know."

"Hyara, we've never talked much about the naaru, and I've always been glad of that. You know I don't want to… well, step on your hooves over this. But would you believe everything a naaru tells you is absolute truth?"

She looked confused. "What do you mean? Are you saying you think O'ros was _lying_ to me?"

"Well… no," he said hesitantly. "But couldn't he be mistaken? And even if he wasn't, why did he tell you if it doesn't even matter and would only worry you?"

"Because it's something I should know! Wouldn't you want to know?"

He shrugged. "Maybe not, if there's nothing to be done and it makes no difference anyway."

"Then I suppose I shouldn't have told you." She glared and stalked out to the balcony attached to their room. He grunted in frustration and followed her out.

"That's not what I meant and you know it. I wasn't questioning you; I was questioning O'ros."

But it was the wrong thing to say at that moment, and Hyara whirled on him. "Because you know better than the beings who've guided us for millennia? I have faith in the Light, even if you don't. I don't know why O'ros told me, but he must have had a good reason. I thought you could help me figure it out, but you've been no help but to tell me he was wrong and shouldn't have done it." The door slammed as she left the room and all Galmak could do was seethe with frustration at not being able to follow her.

Hyara paused outside the closed door and smoothed her features into blank calm. She didn't know how closely she was being watched or how much people might be talking, but it wouldn't do to have it known throughout the city that the Kanrethad's emissary had been arguing with her orc husband. She left the inn for an aimless and troubled walk through the city. Maybe she should speak with her grandfather about this. He'd always been able to calm her fears and offer her the best guidance on anything she asked. And yet the thought of telling him what O'ros had said made her recoil; what would he think of her if he knew that her body still harbored even the tiniest trace of fel taint?

Hyara found that her hooves had carried her unbidden to the Vault of Lights. She stared up at the purple hologram shifting so lifelike before her: tall and muscular; powerful, thick hooves; waving tail and piercing fel eyes. An eredar. The first likeness she'd ever seen. It might have been him; her mind could fill in every detail that was missing from this generic model. She sunk down to the floor and her forehead fell to rest on one hand. She'd thought she'd finally managed to put those days to rest, at least in some measure. Now she found that she'd been carrying them around within her all along and there would never be any escape. He'd marked her for good. For the first time since her escape she wondered suddenly if he were dead or alive.

Exodar's diffuse light allowed for few shadows, but now one fell over her in the soft glow from the demon. Hyara looked up and managed to summon a smile. "Merok! You've come out on your own."

"Are you well?" he asked with a slight frown.

"Oh, yes." She waved a hand dismissively and he turned his attention on the hologram.

"Is this a draenei?" he asked in some puzzlement, glancing around at the odd company the presumed draenei hologram was keeping among holograms of strange monsters, most of which he couldn't identify.

"No." She reached out and touched her fingers to a panel on the front of the display. A voice emerged, giving an explanation of the hologram.

"There is much I don't know," Merok said thoughtfully. "Some things I must have been taught as a child, but I remember so little. Hyara… do you follow the Light?"

She nodded and he lowered himself to sit beside her on the floor. "I was not taught to follow the Light," he continued. "The orcs are guided by the spirits of their ancestors and by the elements. I have never been happy among orcs, but I always thought there was sense in their beliefs. I have prayed to my own ancestors since I was a child. I hoped they might someday guide me to happiness." Earnestness crept into his voice. "Hyara, is this wrong? The very people I prayed to… would they have been disgusted to learn that I don't follow the Light?"

Hyara stared down at her hands in her lap, uncertain how to answer him. "I don't know," she finally said, shaking her head slowly. "Most draenei do follow the Light; it's how we were raised, how I was raised. The naaru saved us when no one else could have and taught us the ways of the Light. But I won't be one to condemn you for believing differently, Merok. My husband doesn't follow the Light, after all." Then she remembered what O'ros had said. _See that Merok finds his life and his heritage in the Light again._

"Yes, the naaru…" He frowned thoughtfully. "Will I be unwelcome here if I don't embrace the Light?"

"No, of course not," she answered, but all at once she felt confused. Was this what O'ros had spoken with Merok about? Would she be failing the naaru if she didn't try to teach him in the ways of the Light? 

She raised her eyes to his face. "Merok, I think you should speak with Velen. He's very wise and he may be able to help you with some of your questions. I know he'll find the time to talk to you."

Merok's brow furrowed in alarm. "He is your leader. He will not speak to a slave… a former slave, that is," he added.

"He will. He doesn't hold himself above the concerns of his people. There's nothing to fear; he'll want to help you."

"Then I will see him," he said hesitantly. "As long… as long as you will be near."

Hyara bit her lip. "Merok… you must understand I can't be with you forever. You'll have to learn to be comfortable here on your own."

He nodded but remained silent, staring up at the eredar shimmering above them. At last Hyara rose with a sigh, smoothing her dress as she stood.

"I'm going back to the inn, Merok. Do you remember the way?"

He nodded again and turned his eyes on her. "Why did you come here, Hyara? To this." He gestured toward the hologram.

Her stomach fluttered. "That is not something I will discuss. I'm sorry, Merok." She felt his solemn gaze follow her as she retreated back toward the city's heart.

Hyara found Galmak seated coolly in the inn's common room, ignoring the dozen sets of glowing eyes fixed malevolently on him and the several heavily-armed guards positioned around the room. He followed her as she went to their room.

"Hyara, I'm sorry," he said quietly once the door was safely closed behind them. "I never meant to insult you. From now on I'm going to stay well away from your beliefs."

She hung her head. "That's not what I want. I value your opinion; that's why I told you about it. I don't want to scare you away from telling me what I need to hear." She looked up. "Just don't expect me to agree with you all the time."

"No. I won't expect that." He grinned and then he had his arms around her and she was clinging to him.

"The truth is that I'm scared." Her voice was muffled against his chest. "I thought I'd left it all behind, but now… All this time I've been living with a taint. That doesn't…" she gulped. "That doesn't bother you?"

"I guess it doesn't bother me because that's what I live with myself, love. My green skin proves that I was tainted from birth and I'll be that way 'til the day I die."

"Oh, Galmak…" she groaned. "That's not what I meant, I didn't mean that- "

He cut her off. "Hush, woman. I know what you meant. It doesn't matter at all to me and it shouldn't matter to you either. Can you try to forget about it?"

Hyara nodded and gave him a wavering smile. "I'll get over it. It was a shock to learn about it, is all."

He held her silently and marveled at how pure and wonderful she felt. If this was tainted, he wanted nothing else.

* * *

Merok turned at the sound of hooffalls behind him in the Vault of Lights, hoping Hyara might have returned for some reason. But instead he met the eyes of a tall man, old with grey-white hair and long beard, wearing heavy blue robes that brushed the floor with a swish as he walked.

"Hello, Merok," the man said, his voice deep and soft.

The younger draenei felt a quiet panic rise in him and he retreated into his shyness, lowering his eyes to the floor and wishing he could shrink into obscurity. He had no idea how to address one of his kind, besides Hyara; especially not one such as this. Power seemed to radiate from this man in waves like heat from the sun. Merok finally managed to nod twice as if conceding that he couldn't escape the man's presence and would have to acknowledge him.

The man smiled gravely and, to Merok's surprise and discomfort, took Hyara's spot on the ground beside him. "I'm Velen," he said. He glanced up at the hologram and a slight frown crossed his face briefly.

"Velen." Merok whispered the name to himself in shock. Where was Hyara? He couldn't talk to the Prophet on his own.

"Hyara cannot be with you always," Velen said gently, and now Merok looked up. "And she is a married woman, Merok, as you know."

"To a beast," Merok whispered.

"Orcs are not beasts. Their grief as a species stems from the same source as our own. The true monsters in the universe are all of a kind, whether draenei, orc, or demon." He gestured toward the hologram before them. "Condemn the monsters all together, but do not drag their races down with them. We ourselves would be lost if others chose to condemn all eredar indiscriminately."

Merok remained silent, unable to contradict the Prophet. "I have no race," he finally said. "I will be an outcast wherever I go. I don't walk in the Light. How can I be a draenei if I follow the beliefs of the orcs?"

"The Light is in you, Merok. It has chosen you, whether you consciously choose it or not. We are free to believe as we chose, as long as we keep our hearts pure. It is our freedom and our choice to live well that is the truest praise of the Light."

Merok bowed his head in thought, overwhelmed with all that he'd been thrust into in so short a time. He'd only ever dreamed of freedom without dreaming what it might actually _feel_ like. It was more confusing, and yet more exhilarating, than he could have guessed. The answers to his worries wouldn't come overnight, but they were _his_ worries now, not inevitabilities imposed by a master. He would be free to decide. He looked up after a time and realized that he was alone once more.

* * *

"Teleum, there is something I must speak with you about before tomorrow."

Teleum looked up in surprise from the tome he'd been studying on the desk before him. He rose. "Of course, Prophet; please, sit." He gestured to a nearby chair and then resumed his own seat.

Velen paused thoughtfully for a moment. "Forgive my question, but are you very close to your granddaughter?"

"Why, yes. But you know I helped raise her, Velen."

"Yes." Velen smiled. "I should be more specific… By 'close' I mean, does she tell you very much about her travels, her life? Are you aware of the important events in her life?"

Teleum frowned minutely. "She tells me a great deal," he answered cautiously.

The Prophet examined his old friend intently for a moment before he spoke again. "You are of course aware of the request we received last month from the Kanrethad that we meet with their emissary. The very same day, after I saw that message, I had a vision. It was a warning, but a very confused one. It made very little sense to me. When I learned of her orc husband, it became clearer, or so I believed. I am no longer so sure and I am trying to uncover the truth."

"I would like to help. But Velen, I will not violate the confidence that Hyara has put in me. I am sorry; I will not do that even for you if I can see no absolutely urgent reason for it."

Velen nodded. "Then tell me only one thing if you can, Teleum. Has Hyara ever spoken of an eredar?"

Teleum's voice trembled with emotion. "Yes."

"I am sorry to bring this up, old friend," Velen said softly as he rose to leave. "I know your pain. Light be with you, as it always has been."

* * *


	8. Part I: Ch 8: Revelation

A/N: Now for the final chapter of Part I. Stay tuned for Part II, coming soon!

* * *

Exodar's lights were just beginning to rise from the soft dimness of the night cycle. Hyara finished dressing, paying a little extra attention to smoothing the wrinkles out of her crimson skirts and making sure that her long hair was under control. Today she'd have to face Velen and the council.

Galmak grunted out on the balcony and Hyara smiled to herself. He had a habit of doing that when anything surprised him. She went out to see what it was this time.

"What's caught your eye now, my love?" She kissed him and smiled.

He craned his neck out over the balcony's low wall, trying to see around one of the inn's crystalline projections. "There's somebody coming inside who looked pretty official. He had a few guards with him."

"Oh, hmm. I wonder who it was." She straightened the sash at her waist, which always seemed to want to fold in half every time she moved.

"An older draenei, really tall, with a long white beard." He yawned. "Maybe I'll go out to the common room and take a look, make myself annoying just by being there."

But now Hyara was looking at him, frowning. Velen wasn't the only draenei who had a long white beard and might have guards following him around, and even if it was him there was absolutely no reason for her to believe he'd be coming to see her, but… She looked over at the rumpled sheets on the bed and their packs overflowing and scattered haphazardly across the floor.

"Umm… Help me make the bed, love," she said. He shrugged and went over to join her just as there was a knock on the door. Hyara smacked a palm to her forehead and dragged the bedcovers into some semblance of order.

"_Best behavior_," she said, wide-eyed, to Galmak. He gave her an odd look and shrugged again. Hyara opened the door, revealing Velen alone; his guards waited a short distance away in the common room. He stepped quickly inside and shut the door. Hyara looked dumbstruck, but then she recovered and knelt in front of him.

"Prophet! I'm sorry, I had no idea-" She glanced wildly around the room at the clutter and blushed.

He smiled and raised her gently to her hooves. "I apologize for disturbing you here, Hyara. It seemed… safest," he said in orcish. He turned to Galmak and inclined his head in a bow.

The orc was a little confused, but he figured he knew who this must be, though it was a mystery why the man had come here. Maybe Hyara had a better idea why the Prophet of the Naaru had decided to drop by their room in the inn at the crack of dawn. Galmak returned the nod.

"Oh… I'm sorry, Prophet, this is my husband, Galmak," Hyara said, flustered. "Please, will you sit?" She perched nervously on the edge of the bed once Velen had seated himself; Galmak shrugged and took the room's other chair.

"First and foremost, Hyara, you are here as an emissary of the Kanrethad," Velen began. "I rejoiced when I heard of them; it is always a great blessing when our Broken brothers and sisters return to the fold. Any and all of them are welcome here if they ever choose to come."

"Thank you, Prophet," Hyara murmured. At least this was somewhat familiar territory, even if he had surprised her; she'd survived the meeting with Thrall, after all. This couldn't be worse than that.

"Secondly, I want to make it clear that Galmak is as welcome here as I am able to make him. It is obvious you are an honorable man or Teleum would never have vouched for you." He nodded again to Galmak.

"Thank you, Prophet," Galmak echoed Hyara deferentially.

"Now, Hyara… as you might suspect, there is an actual reason I chose this odd time and place to see you." Velen's smile didn't reach his eyes. "Yesterday I spoke with O'ros. I understand you went there to see him."

Hyara felt a twinge of genuine unease begin to scratch at her mind. Surely O'ros hadn't revealed her secret? "I- I took Merok to see him, yes, Prophet. He did speak to me also."

"Yes. Hyara, I want you to understand that O'ros disclosed your conversation only out of a deep concern for your well-being. He did not do it lightly. He told me that he could sense in you something odd, something that he couldn't at first place until he discovered your scar. He said he discovered that your scar is fel-tainted."

Hyara took a deep breath. She nodded, staring down at her lap. "Yes, Prophet. I didn't know there was still anything wrong with it until O'ros told me. He said… he said it shouldn't matter, that only a naaru would be able to sense it."

"That, I am afraid, is not strictly correct," Velen said. "I too can sense it. But I believe it is true that only someone very strong in the Light – or possibly in the Shadow- would be able to tell." He paused now, and Hyara thought he seemed reluctant to continue. "Shortly after I received the message from the Kanrethad I had a vision that contained a warning. I could make no real sense of it until after my conversation with O'ros. Hyara… please tell me how you came by that wound."

She sighed. "It was stupid, really… it was a furbolg in Felwood three years ago. I thought I could handle it, but it was much stronger than I thought and it almost killed me. Galmak found me and took me to Talonbranch Glade where a druid healed me."

Velen frowned. "A furbolg? I would not have thought… Did you ever discover anything more about this furbolg? Where it came from, anything at all?"

Hyara swallowed and looked over at Galmak. His fists were clenched and he was glaring at Velen.

"Is this really necessary?" the orc said suddenly. "If the naaru said it isn't a problem, can't we just leave it at that?"

Velen turned his eyes on Galmak, who tried not to shrink from that gaze so full of quiet but boundless power. "It is very necessary. Your wife's life may depend on it; I don't know yet. But I won't know until I have heard your story. You may tell it if Hyara cannot."

Hyara's stricken eyes met her husband's and she nodded.

"Alright," Galmak growled. "There was an eredar in Winterspring who was sending out corrupted creatures into Felwood. That furbolg was one of them. Does that explain it?" Hyara wished she could kiss him. Maybe Velen would be satisfied with that.

But her relief was short-lived. Velen's gaze seemed to intensify. "Ah. There, I believe, is the beginning of the explanation. I'm afraid I must ask you to continue. Your story does not end there."

Galmak jumped out of his chair and strode over to Hyara, kneeling in front of her. "Love, if you want this to stop, just tell me. He has no right to dredge all this back up for no good reason I can see. If you won't stand up to him, I will."

Hyara smiled in spite of herself and squeezed his hands. "If the Prophet asks, there's a good reason. I don't think there's any choice but to tell him," she whispered.

"Then let me do it. I don't want you to have to talk about it," he said gruffly. He stood and rounded on Velen, who had turned away from them toward the window. The Prophet turned back as Galmak spoke.

The orc took a deep breath and steeled himself. "We didn't know any of that about the furbolg at the time. We traveled together into Winterspring until we got to Everlook. And then… well, then all hell broke loose. The eredar captured us and took us to his fortress."

Velen frowned. "For what reason did he do that? Had you done something to attract his attention?"

"Hyara had come into Winterspring, is all. He was on the lookout for a sex toy," Galmak spat. "I got carried off too as an extra bonus that he thought he might get around to making use of someday."

Velen closed his eyes and there was silence for a moment. Hyara tried to will her mind into cool blankness.

Finally Velen spoke again. "Hyara, in the time you were with him, did the eredar injure you with magic or with anything that might have been enchanted? Did he ever perform any ritual on you?"

Her voice came out hollow. "He tortured me with magic. He never completed any ritual."

"He never… _completed_ any ritual? What do you mean by that, child?"

Now she looked up and met his eyes. "I told him he could make me man'ari in exchange for freeing Galmak."

Velen drew a sharp breath before he could stop himself. "But you say he did not complete the ritual."

"No. I… With help, I turned things around on him." Her eyes dropped back to the floor and she forced her voice out mechanically. "I drank demon blood the night before to prepare. When he was going to do the ritual the next day, I- I told him I was already man'ari, that I was the servant of Kil'jaeden sent to spy on him. I don't think he ever really believed it, but I stalled him long enough to make him uncertain and to convince the other demons. And then I cast all my fel magic at him and that ended it."

"It killed him?" Velen asked so sharply that Hyara jumped.

"No. But he wasn't able to put up a fight afterward. The other demons carried him away and… the person helping me let Galmak and me go free." She was terrified by the look she saw on his face now. He was staring at her with an intensity that seemed it would put holes through her. Tears slid down her cheeks and fell to her lap. "Prophet… Prophet, please, what is this about? Did I do something wrong? I only wanted to get Galmak away, I would have let him kill me…"

Velen's look softened all at once and he sighed and shook his head wearily. "You did nothing wrong that I can tell, child. But there is one more thing you must tell me. I must know more about this fel magic you used. It was very strong magic indeed to incapacitate an eredar so completely."

Hyara gulped back her tears and Galmak squeezed her hand, smiling sadly at her from where he knelt on the floor at her side.

"I was standing on the rune he was going to use in the ritual. I think that helped me channel it," she said in a wavering voice.

Velen rose and turned away. Silence descended and hung in the air as the minutes stretched further. Velen turned at last and spoke. "Then I believe it is as I feared. Hyara, if you will permit me one final test?"

She nodded, confused and scared but trusting that he had some explanation for all this. Velen motioned her over to him and she rose obediently and crossed the room. He gripped her upper arms and a golden white light began to glimmer around his hands. The glow intensified steadily and spread through her body, shimmering around her in a brilliant corona. Hyara's eyes widened as she suddenly felt the pain of her headache grow more insistent and she opened her mouth to speak, but all at once it was as if liquid fire had washed into her veins and begun searing new channels through her body. She threw her head back and screamed at the molten pain ripping through her in fierce, twisting eddies. Her hooves left the floor and she kicked and squirmed wildly in his hands. The brilliant light died from Velen's hands immediately, but it felt like years to Hyara. She panted, her eyes rolling in fear, and slumped down weakly. Velen caught her and lowered her gently; Galmak gathered her into his arms and turned blazing red eyes up to the Prophet.

"What did you do to her!" he roared. Only Hyara's limp form in his arms kept him from launching himself at Velen.

The ancient draenei sunk back down into his chair and rubbed a hand across his forehead. "That was nothing but the healing power of the Light," he sighed.

Galmak stared at him in consternation.

"It isn't the wound, is it," came Hyara's voice, small and tired.

Velen shook his head. "No, Hyara," he said quietly. "The ritual wasn't completed, it's true. But part of it was. You stood on the rune intended for use in the ritual to make you man'ari; a tremendous amount of fel energy was channeled through your body. You are not exactly man'ari, you are not a demon. Nor are you quite _not_ a demon, if you'll allow me to make very little sense. You are not averse to all holy magic, only to very strong holy magic. I will be honest: I do not know precisely what you are. You are mostly draenei. Perhaps we should stick at that."

Hyara gazed at him in fascinated horror. At the door there was a muffled shout and a thud, then silence again. Velen's eyes never flickered from her face. A strange buzz was rising in her ears; the room seemed to blur and dim, tilting languidly around her. Only Velen's eyes stayed steady and unwavering.

Then suddenly she heard Galmak's voice calling her name softly. She felt his hand on her cheek and her eyes fluttered open. Velen rose and crossed out of her line of vision; she heard the door open briefly and the sound of low voices before it shut again, and then the Prophet knelt on the floor next to Galmak. Her husband's arms closed around her as he lifted her and moved over to the bed.

"Hyara…" he said again, softly. "Can you hear me?"

She nodded and took a few slow, deep breaths, just to be sure she could. Her body felt so still and heavy she wondered if she could even move. _Man'ari_. _A demon_. The thought crashed down on her again, as if it had lifted briefly and been hovering, waiting for the time to pounce again to greatest effect.

"I can't be," she whispered.

"You're not," Galmak said fiercely.

Velen spoke sadly from her other side. "Galmak is right. You aren't, not even by half. But beyond that, I don't know, Hyara."

"How could I never have known? How could I never have suspected it?" she asked desperately.

"How could you have known?" Velen countered. "Am I right in saying that your life was never the same afterward as it was before? And mostly for only the most natural reasons. The change was not something you could be expected to detect in yourself if you didn't already know."

"Then why the hell does she need to know," Galmak bit out. "Just to torment her? Because you're going to tell her next that she needs to purge herself in the Light, or some such bullshit?"

Velen fixed the orc with a stern stare. "She must know because you can be sure that there are others in the worlds capable of detecting this besides myself and the naaru. Others, whether good or evil, who will not have a care for her life but will see her only as a menace to be eliminated or as an instrument to be put to use for their own goals." He turned concerned eyes on Hyara. "It is surely a rare individual who could recognize this in you, but you must be prepared for the danger you are likely to face should it happen."

Hyara stared up at Galmak and he stared back at her unflinchingly. There was no change in his face, no look of veiled or open revulsion, no fear or anger. Only worry and deep, unconditional love. He suddenly gave her a small smile, leaned down, and kissed her.

"You're the same Hyara I've always loved," he whispered.

That was all she needed to be. She clung to him and sobbed.

* * *


	9. Part II: Ch 1: Fleeing

A/N: Commence Part II. /Evil laugh.

* * *

Clouds again, swollen and steel grey in Darkshore's sodden sky. They'd be riding drenched for the second time in four hours. It fit Hyara's mood perfectly. She hunched in the saddle and shivered, pulling her cloak closer. At her side Galmak looked just as miserable, but he was apparently trying to put a manly front on it, sitting straight and tall with his head up and his cloak thrown back over his shoulders. His midnight blue hair, like her own light blonde, was plastered flat in wet strings. He glanced over and caught the look of concern in her eyes.

"Don't worry about me; how are you doing?" he asked.

She shook her head and shrugged. "It doesn't matter as long as we keep moving."

"I still think that was a bad decision," he growled. "You should have told your grandfather. You should have at least said goodbye."

Hyara looked away and let her silence stretch. Bad decision or not, she'd already made it and now she only wanted to put enough distance between them and Exodar that her grandfather would be unlikely follow. She hadn't been able to endure the thought of smiling sweetly at him, trying to beg out of his urgings to visit her family at Azure Watch, all the while knowing what manner of… _thing_ she was. Knowing that if he only knew, he might revile and disown her. Might even be afraid of her. But Velen would have taken care of all that by now; she didn't know what excuse he had given the council and she didn't really care to. Merok had been the most difficult to shake, even more so than Velen's urgings to stay, and it had been the former slave's look of confusion and hurt that had almost collapsed her resolve to leave. But she had to leave, and he couldn't follow them forever. She had to leave the city, drenched in holy Light and peace, that had always been her home. Her people wouldn't want her anymore if they knew. The pain that had for days been growing slowly but persistently behind her eyes had faded almost the moment she'd ridden out of Exodar.

Droplets began to spatter around them, sluicing off the twisted trees. Gink shook himself and growled in outrage at the unfairness of it all: just when he'd been feeling a little drier.

_I'm sorry, old boy_, Hyara sighed.

_Sorry enough to let us find a dry spot to stop for the night?_

_If you think you can find a dry spot, be my guest._

Her cat gave a mental grumble and plodded off into the underbrush. Hyara wished him luck, but she didn't hold out high hopes.

As if paralleling her train of thought, Galmak spoke. "Maybe the weather will change once we hit Ashenvale and get away from the coast a little further. We're close; we might find a dry place to camp there."

Hyara nodded and reached out a hand to him. He took it and squeezed tightly, pulling her over to ride closer to his wolf. They continued in silence, taking strength and warmth from the touch.

The rain didn't exactly stop when they crossed into Ashenvale, but the ancient forest's thicker and healthier trees provided more effective shelter. They veered off the main road into the heart of the forest, retracing the path they'd taken only a little over a week before. Finally Palla called silently to Galmak, telling him that she'd found a good hidden place for a camp. They joined her gratefully at her chosen spot and fell wearily into their damp bedroll on the mucky, musty leaves. As she had for the past several nights, Hyara cried herself softly to sleep in Galmak's arms, hating herself for her weakness.

The next day's travel brought them closer to Astranaar and further from the coast, and yet still there was no end to the rain. It seemed even to be heavier here, dripping more insistently through the thick leafy roof and churning the razor-thin path into shallow, soupy mud. When it was time to stop again for the night Hyara slid off her horse and surveyed the ground in disgust.

_This was the best you could find?_

_The absolute best. Mucky, isn't it?_ Gink responded.

Hyara snorted. "Gink is a lousy camp-finder, isn't he?" Her cat yawned; Galmak chuckled and started pulling supplies out of their packs.

"I think tonight we're going to risk the luxury of a fire, so long as I can get one started," he said firmly. Hyara assented readily. She didn't think she could stay sane much longer with this constant drip of water running off her horns and pooling in her clothes. Despite the risks, she'd removed her mail armor days ago and chose to travel in only cloth and leather; the metal acted too much like a sponge for the chill in the air. She gazed thoughtfully into the darkening forest. Astranaar would be south and west of them by now; probably not far, either.

"Love, I'm going to see about getting us some dry blankets," she said suddenly.

Galmak looked up in surprise. "Oh?"

"I can get to Astranaar in under an hour." She surveyed the wet ground he'd cleared for a fire circle. "At this rate, I'll be back before you even have that fire started."

He frowned. "Well, you're right; it isn't far. But I don't like the idea of sending you off on your own into the dark."

She whistled and Gink came padding out of the trees to her side. Hyara crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at her husband. Galmak rolled his eyes but he grinned and nodded.

"Alright, I know you're not really alone. Just hurry back, will you? And don't you ever doubt my fire-starting skills again!"

She smiled and kissed him, then mounted up and trotted away into shadows. She'd been riding about half an hour when the trees cleared abruptly in front of her and she saw the wavering gleam of light on water. Astranaar lay ahead, its blue lanterns glowing weakly through the dark, slanting rain and mirrored in the wide lake that surrounded the town. She turned through the thinned underbrush to follow the lakeshore west.

The wind gusted cold and wet with rain off the lake and Hyara twisted in the saddle, trying to put her back to the weather. At least the air was fresher here, not smelling so strongly of the musty decay of leaves.

_I smell fish_, Gink said from ahead, and she smiled at the delicate delight she could sense in him. Neither she nor Galmak had ever learned to fish very well, so her cat only got his favorite treat when Hyara could find them for sale. She'd have to make a brief check with any merchants who were still about at this hour.

Fear and pain flooded the bond so abruptly that Hyara gasped. Gink snarled among the dark trees ahead and then all was silent. With a soft thud of hooves she leapt from her horse and crouched low behind a trunk, desperately seeking any hint of her cat's sense to tell her what had gone wrong. She strained out with her senses when she found no sign of Gink, and what she felt made fear flutter in her stomach. She shrank against the tree and eased her eyes slowly around the side of the trunk. Somewhere in the darkness ahead of her, beyond her sight, was a powerful demon. Silently she slipped her bow from its place at her back and with a soft swish she drew an arrow from her quiver.

A sudden shudder in the darkness, a trembling of leaves and shadows, and a winged shape stood only several paces in front of her.

"Put that down before you hurt yourself."

Hyara leapt up in shock and she felt the bow wrenched from her hand. She staggered backward a few feet before she forced herself to stop. She'd never, ever thought to hear that voice again. Years and the forest dropped away and she could almost see grey stone walls around her again, see the leap of flames in a wide hearth and feel her naked body wrapped in a thick crimson blanket. Her mind reeled for a moment but a shock of cold wind from the lake brought her senses back.

"Have you pulled yourself together now, girl?" the voice said dryly.

Hyara took a deep, steadying breath. "What are you doing here, Raizha?"

* * *


	10. Part II: Ch 2: A Favor Called In

* * *

Hyara took a deep, steadying breath. "What are you doing here, Raizha?"

"Is that your cat?" The succubus gestured through the trees along the lake. "You'll want to tend to him. I had no desire to hurt him, but I also had no desire to feel his teeth around my neck."

Hyara walked dazedly down the shore until she found Gink, curled into a ball and shivering. He whined in pain as she knelt beside him and cast her Gift of the Naaru. Raizha stepped back from the shimmering holy Light and Hyara rose again to face the demoness.

"I'll ask you again," the draenei said, trying not to let her fear show. "What are you doing here? And how did you find me?"

"Not that I expected a welcome from you." Raizha smiled thinly. "But like knows like. My scrying can find you when I have need or inclination."

Hyara felt astonishment well up. "You knew," she said in quiet rage. "You knew what it would do to me. You let me stand there and turn myself- " She swallowed, unable to continue.

"I knew nothing of the sort. I knew it might do something to you, yes. I also knew it might do nothing at all. Do you think I had ever seen anything like that before? I was as surprised as you at the results," Raizha retorted, tossing her head impatiently. "And furthermore, your only other choice was death." The succubus narrowed her eyes and her tail flicked rhythmically. "Would you choose differently now if you could? Would you care to return these past several years?" She sniffed. "I thought not. I daresay your orc wouldn't either."

"Alright!" Hyara said angrily. "Then tell me what you want."

Raizha examined her coolly for a moment. "Much as it pains me to say it, I need your help," she finally said.

Hyara wished she could retort that she owed Raizha nothing, that she would never help a demon. She glared at the succubus, silently cursing fate for putting her in this woman's debt.

Raizha huffed and tapped a hoof on the ground, choosing to mistake Hyara's silence for refusal. "You man'ari are all alike. You take, you steal, but you never give, even where it is due."

"_I am not man'ari!_" Hyara screamed, her tail lashing savagely. She was panting raggedly, her fists clenched at her sides. "What do you want from me?" she spat. "I'll help you if I can. If it won't damn me any further than I am already." It seemed the past would never let her forget; now it wouldn't even let her escape.

Raizha smiled, revealing tiny, glittering fangs. "Good. Then you cannot be entirely man'ari; you do still have a sense of honor." She laughed, then beckoned to the draenei. "Come. Let me show you something." The demoness trotted to the lake's edge and bent over the rain-ruffled water. She skimmed a hand over the water's surface, her razor-like black fingernails dancing in a complex pattern. Hyara drew a sharp breath as a wavering image appeared in the water, showing her the very place that had been the stuff of her nightmares for years now.

Raizha looked sidelong at Hyara, a small, sly smile on the succubus's lips. "I'm sure you remember the many demons in the fortress. I believe you could sense them and I seem to remember that you caught glimpses of our impressive numbers there." Her fingers wove again and the fortress's rooms flashed by. Many of them were empty. "As you can see, my demons' numbers are now somewhat depleted," Raizha continued. "Some of this is due to the… change in leadership nearly three years ago; there were those who were not in accordance with it and had to be eliminated. However… more recently, I have been having problems of a different sort."

The demoness rose and the image in the lake dissolved in the pattering rain. "My demons are disappearing," she said. "Without trace, and I cannot discover what is happening to them."

Hyara raised an eyebrow. "Maybe they're leaving. Have they discovered that the Burning Legion no longer meets their needs for a nurturing environment?"

"Don't mock me, girl," Raizha said with a languid smile. "Our ties with the Legion have been somewhat… tenuous since you were last with us. I find it suits my style of leadership better. In any case, these disappearances have nothing to do with the Legion. Whatever this is is searching for something; feeling its way blindly."

"How do you know that?"

"Because it is taking more powerful demons every time," Raizha answered.

Hyara looked at her shrewdly. "It's after you in particular, isn't it."

The demoness nodded. "I believe so. That seems to be a reasonable conclusion as I am the highest-ranking demon in the fortress."

Hyara turned away and gazed across the lake to the blue constellation of Astranaar's lights. "Why did you come to me? What do you think I can do about it?"

Raizha hissed and shook her head. "Possibly nothing. You may prove useless. But I know you to be resourceful. You are a demon, and yet not. You may be able to find this thing without yourself succumbing to it. I will not waste a favor owed me, and I have no one else to turn to. I have of course tried to solve my own problem, but my scrying for this thing only seems to have attracted its attention and assisted it in narrowing its search."

Hyara hugged her arms against the chill air and held her silence, considering. _Do I have a choice? She saved my life. I never would have gotten away without her help._ Galmak would be alive and on his own right now. Would he have still mourned the draenei who had stolen his heart for so brief a time, or by now would it only have seemed like a strange, surreal dream?

"I'll help you," the hunter finally said. "Even though I don't see what I can do."

Raizha stepped closer. "You will find this thing before it destroys me. Then your blood-debt will be repaid."

"But how," Hyara said through gritted teeth. "I have no special knowledge of any of this. You call me a demon but I'm not. I have no way-"

Raizha's hands shot out and clutched Hyara's head. Sudden fire seared into the hunter's mind, intense flames that licked downward through her body and warmed her without burning. Her eyes went wide and she dropped to her knees on the forest floor, sweat dripping down her face.

The demoness smiled and mockingly, almost tenderly, she wiped the sweat from Hyara's face. "No… not fully a demon. But a true mortal would not have survived that." She laughed softly. "My powers have grown considerably since last we met. It is a wonder what one can accomplish with a little freedom."

Hyara swallowed and rose shakily to her hooves. "You still haven't told me how you expect me to find this thing, whatever it is."

Raizha crossed her arms and examined the draenei closely. "As I said, you are resourceful. I have little doubt that you will discover what you need to." The succubus smiled slyly. "Perhaps you would care to start your search in Winterspring? You would be welcome in your old quarters."

"You've grown crueler, Raizha," Hyara said softly. The succubus's eyes widened slightly in surprise and Hyara thought she saw a brief flash of remorse, but then Raizha whirled and stalked a few paces away before turning back.

"Before I was forced to stop, my scrying determined that it is near but not in Winterspring. You will find this thing. When you do, you will contact me. And then you will be released from your blood-debt." She pressed something roughly into Hyara's palm. "I must go now."

"Wait. Raizha, tell me one thing." Hyara swallowed. "Is he dead?"

The succubus's night-black eyes glittered. "Now you wish for news of _him_, do you."

A sudden gust of wind blew off the lake, rattling branches and stirring up a whirl of wet leaves. Shadows skittered and flowed; there was a faint rustle that might have been wings and a thud that might have been a last petulant stomp of a hoof. Raizha was gone.

Hyara dropped to her knees in the sodden dead leaves and stared dully at the thing in her hand. It was a thick golden ring, about the circumference of her palm, and faintly warm to the touch. _My contact with her._ Somehow she was to use this when it was time; another mystery Raizha had neglected to explain adequately. Hyara was about to slip the band onto her wrist when sudden realization dawned. She stared down at the thing in horror, wishing she could fling it away into the lake. The band was just the right size for an ornamental ring on a male facial tendril.

Sobs shook her shoulders. She reached out to find Gink's comforting warmth beside her and pressed her face into his fur. There was a sudden crackle of twigs nearby and Gink snarled, his body stiffening in renewed tension. Hyara looked up to see a bulky shape step from behind a tree several yards away, and for a heart-freezing instant she thought she'd truly gone mad and _he_ had come here for her. But then the faint light on the lake shifted, and…

"Merok," she choked in shock.

"Hyara," came his quiet voice, full of concern. He stepped over to her and knelt, resting a hand on her back. "Are you hurt?"

"No," she sniffed, wiping tears away. "There's nothing wrong. What in the Light are you doing here?"

"I followed you from Exodar, and then here."

Hyara just shook her head, too weary to argue or question him further. She pushed herself up and walked dazedly to her horse a short distance back down the shore.

"Hyara…" Merok began behind her. "I don't think I understand everything I heard."

She whirled in sudden anger. "You shouldn't have heard any of it. You wouldn't have heard any of it if you hadn't been sneaking behind my back, following me and going where you shouldn't be." She closed her eyes and pressed her face against the horse's warm mane.

"I'm sorry," he said. She could hear the pain in his voice and she turned.

"I'm sorry too. I- I didn't mean to just leave you like that. I didn't want to. But Merok… you're not the only one who doesn't understand," she said softly. "I don't understand myself anymore." She hauled herself up into the saddle and started back toward where Galmak waited. The thudding hooves of Merok's poor old nag followed her in the darkness and a tired smile worked its way onto her lips. There was obviously more life in that horse than she'd thought.

* * *

_She's coming back._

Galmak leapt up and peered into the darkness in the direction of Palla's sense. There was a slightly heightened tension in his wolf, a sense of worry that she was unsuccessfully trying to hide from him. The undergrowth rustled in the darkness outside the pool of firelight and a horse whickered. Another answered it, but before Galmak had time to wonder, Hyara stepped out of the darkness followed closely by Merok. Gink's ghostly form appeared and he collapsed beside the fire.

"Well I'll be damned," Galmak said to the big draenei. "Where did you come from?" Then he took a closer look at his wife and leapt to her side in concern. "Hyara, what's wrong? What happened?"

She shook her head and took a few deep breaths. Galmak looked to Merok. "What happened?" he asked again, more insistently, then in sudden fear he growled, "Did you hurt her somehow?"

"No," Hyara said faintly. She sat beside the fire and rested a hand on her cat's head. Galmak sat down next to her. She stared numbly into the flames for a few minutes, trying to organize her thoughts and stop her mind from spinning out of control in the shock of all that had just happened. "I'll have to write to Remta," she said absently. Her beleaguered mind fixed gratefully on that comfortingly irrelevant thought and she frowned. "I hope he won't be angry I can't come back right away. Maybe he'll give me something else to do here later. After…"

"Hyara, what the hell are you talking about?" Galmak asked earnestly. He shook her shoulder gently and she started. She blinked at him for a moment, and then her tears came. Galmak held her and let her cry, but he glared at Merok across the fire. "If she can't talk soon, you are going to tell me what happened. I don't give a damn if you never speak another word of orcish afterward, but you are going to tell me about this."

Merok gazed back at him unblinkingly.

Hyara's sobs finally subsided and she sat still and quiet for a few moments more with her face resting against Galmak's chest. His hand stroked down her arm and he made to grasp her hand, but his fingers encountered something smooth and hard.

"What's this?" he asked, and gently tried to take the thing.

Hyara looked down at the gold band still clutched in her hand. "It's nothing," she said faintly and shoved the thing onto her wrist and up her arm. She pushed away from him and met his eyes.

"I saw Raizha," she said.

Galmak just stared at her uncomprehendingly for a few heartbeats. "You… what?" he finally said. Hyara saw a glimmer of fear in his eyes. "What do you mean, love?"

She spared a glance toward Merok, but what did it matter? He'd already confessed to eavesdropping on her conversation with Raizha. Hyara took a few deep breaths, then told Galmak everything. Or nearly everything… She glanced furtively at the gold band around her arm and pushed down the revulsion that welled up again.

When she was done, silence spread around them and settled like heavy dew. The fire popped and crackled, rain pattered lightly in fallen leaves.

"That bitch," Galmak said suddenly, savagely. "She can't just let us alone. I guess she's right; we do owe her. That's one favor I never thought would get called in."

Hyara laid her head on his shoulder and thanked the Light – or whatever it was that listened to her now - that she wasn't alone in the world. "I have no idea what to do." She wiped at the dampness on her cheeks and gazed into the flames dancing hypnotically in front of her. The heat and light were soothing after the surreal encounter at the lake's edge, and she found that her equilibrium was slowly returning. "All she could tell me was that this thing isn't in Winterspring, but it's near. I have no idea what I'm looking for, no idea where to find it, and no idea how to find it. But somehow I've got to." She chuckled mirthlessly.

Hyara started as Merok spoke suddenly. She'd almost forgotten he was there. "If she wants this found so badly, why would she give you no better help?" the man said quietly.

Hyara eyed him a little rancorously. "You were there, Merok. You heard her say that this thing is looking for her and everything she does against it makes her risk discovery."

The draenei lowered his eyes to the fire and hugged his knees.

Galmak examined his wife for a moment. "Hyara…" he said hesitantly. "Do you think there's any possibility you might have some way of finding this that most other people wouldn't?"

"You mean some kind of demonic power?" she asked bitterly, and he held up his hands defensively.

"Alright, alright, love. Forget that, then. She seemed to think you could find it just because you're up to the challenge, and we'll start with that. Let's think this through." He stirred the fire and sent flames crackling higher. Hyara lay back on her elbows and stared up into the featureless blackness beyond the reach of the flames. Unseen leaves stirred overhead in a sudden humid breeze.

"I'm finished with thinking tonight," she said. Galmak rose, taking her hands and helping her over to their bedroll. He stretched out beside her and tucked a damp, smelly blanket around them, wishing wryly that just about everything about this night could have been different.

* * *

Darkness whirled, displaced air rushed outward with a soft sigh, and twigs snapped under sudden weight. A figure paused motionless on the lakeshore as if listening. The feel was already receding rapidly. Another cold trail then, if slightly more recent. Long fingers wove a fluid pattern in the air, muttered words hissed a counterpoint to the rain on the lake. Something flashed blue on the ground, then faded to nothing beneath the dead leaves. Just in case.

Another stir of air and the figure was gone.

* * *


	11. Part II: Ch 3: Toward Uncertainty

* * *

"But, Merok, why?" Hyara's tail waved in frustration and she crossed her arms.

"Because now I am certain you're in danger. I won't leave you," he said and crossed his own arms.

She scuffed a hoof on the ground. "Yes, you're probably right," she admitted. "But that doesn't matter; this is none of your business. This is a debt I owe and Galmak owes because of what I mean to him. I can't allow you to come into danger too over something that means nothing to you."

He stared at her silently for a moment and then said quietly, "I'm coming. I have no ties to anyone but you. Galmak brought me out of slavery and that is my own debt to repay."

Hyara huffed in exasperation and crossed to where Galmak was saddling their mounts. "I can't sway him. He's coming with us," she sighed. "He said he's repaying his debt to you for getting him out of slavery."

Galmak eyed the big draenei where he was now saddling his own horse. "Not sure I believe that," he said. "Merok doesn't seem like the type to feel beholden to an orc," he added in a mutter. "At any rate, it's pretty obvious we can't stop him if he decides to come."

They continued on their way through Ashenvale with no clear mind of where they were going. Hyara had concluded that it would be best for them to head east for now and they could decide in a few days what their next move would be.

"We might try Felwood," Galmak said as they trotted warily down Ashenvale's main road. Hyara had made a brief side-trip into Astranaar and then they'd passed the town early in the day without incident, but there was always the risk of meeting with trouble on the road.

Hyara was scanning the trees ahead nervously, her brow furrowed in thought. "I suppose we could," she said. "But I don't know… Felwood is an odd choice for something or someone with an aversion to demons. Don't you think this thing would rather be somewhere a little less… twisted?"

"You might be right at that," Galmak said. He paused thoughtfully, then continued, "Assuming this thing has an aversion to demons. What if it's another powerful demon making a grab at her position?"

Hyara shuddered and wrapped her cloak more tightly against the chill wind that had risen in the wake of yesterday's rain. "I don't know," she said in a small voice. "I think we're in way over our heads." She stroked her horse's mane and on impulse urged her mount to a gallop, splashing through puddles and around patches of mud in the road. She pulled up and wheeled around abruptly, trotting back to rejoin her amused-looking husband.

"A little restless?" he grinned.

"A little, I guess," she sighed. "I just don't know what to do anymore. I feel… adrift." She shook her head suddenly and frowned. "It's not in Felwood," she said with certainty. "If it were a demon it surely wouldn't be so delicate about moving against her. I think it's got to be something else."

"Azshara is near," Merok said behind them.

Hyara twisted around to look at him. "That's true… have you been there, Merok?"

He shook his head. "No. I remember it only from maps."

Galmak shrugged when Hyara conveyed the suggestion. "It's a place to start, anyway."

Hyara nodded. "It would be straight south and east of…" She trailed off and barely suppressed a shudder. It would be the nearest she'd come to that place since it had all happened. Absently she twisted the warm gold encircling her arm. If he were alive, would he laugh at her now? Would he find bitter satisfaction in the irony that she'd bested him with a pretense, only to turn right around and unknowingly make that pretense a reality? She gripped the reins and mentally shook herself. _I am not. Velen said I am not a demon. And he _is_ dead. I will never have to see him again._

They safely passed Raynewood Retreat that day, making good time on the road. Twice Palla and Gink warned them of approaching danger: a Sentinel patrol that greeted the two draenei cordially and then marched on down the road to Astranaar, oblivious of the orc hiding well off the path in the dense trees; and a pair of blood elves. Galmak motioned to Hyara and Merok to leave the road, but Hyara shook her head firmly.

"I have a duty to spread word of the Kanrethad," she said. "I'm not going to hide from every Horde we run across just because at first glance they'll think I'm Alliance. Besides, we could handle two if it came to that."

"Alright," Galmak grunted in resignation. He was uneasy, but he'd accept her decision. He smiled to himself and had to admit that he was also proud; despite everything, Hyara wouldn't let herself forget her allies.

Before long they heard the slap-scratch of clawed feet on the muddy trail and then a brilliant violet hawkstrider lurched around a bend. The bird gave a harsh caw of protest as the rider jerked the reins and pulled up from a brisk run at the sight of the small group approaching. Galmak raised a hand and called a greeting and the blood elf man sidled warily forward, eyeing Hyara and Merok. An auburn-haired woman peered out from behind his back with luminous green eyes. She whispered something in Thalassian and the man replied in a few short words.

"Did the blue-bloods defect to the Horde?" the man joked uneasily. He reached up and flipped his long blonde hair over a shoulder, casually shrugging his cloak back and exposing the hilt of a heavy sword.

"Not that I've heard," Galmak said with a half-smile. "I'm Galmak. These two aren't Alliance or Horde."

Hyara nodded to the pair. "I'm Hyara. I'm sworn to an Outland faction called the Kanrethad. That's Merok." She gestured over her shoulder.

"The Kanrethad?" The woman frowned thoughtfully. "I've been to Outland many a time and never heard of them."

Hyara smiled and launched into her explanation, suddenly warmly grateful to these strangers. This was what she'd come to Azeroth to do; this was what she should have been able to focus on while she was here. Well, she would take the time to do it when she could, her own problems and Raizha be damned.

"Reassuring, I suppose, to know of another safe place to rest in Outland," the man said after Hyara had finished.

"Assuming these Broken are trustworthy," the woman muttered under her breath, but she smiled smoothly at Hyara. The man clicked to the hawkstrider and flicked the reins, nodding in farewell.

"We passed a Sentinel patrol about two hours ago heading to Astranaar," Hyara said as the blood elves started back on their way.

The man looked startled for a moment, but then he smiled. "Thank you. We'll be wary for them."

Hyara saw Merok twist around and stare after the hawkstrider until their group rounded a bend and the bird and its riders were lost from view. She shook her head ruefully. "Merok, you're too cautious for your own good. How are you ever going to learn to trust anyone?"

"I will trust anyone who proves trustworthy," he said stolidly.

"Ah, but they have to _prove_ trustworthy first," she said. "What if there's no time for that? What if you have to make a decision quickly?"

"Trust does not come easily for me, Hyara. I am sorry." He stared down at his hands in embarrassment, but then he looked up and met her eyes. "But I can make decisions quickly if I must. I chose to follow you from Exodar. I trust you."

She looked away, suddenly ashamed. "You still trust me. Even though there's so much I hid." _And more still that you don't know and never will, if I can help it._

"You never deceived me. You only chose not to reveal certain things. And I believe…" he paused, then continued in a rush. "I believe there were some things you did not know yourself."

Hyara looked at him in surprise. She bit her lip in consternation and trotted back up to rejoin Galmak. Merok had a disconcerting way of seeing more than she ever thought he had.

Galmak reached out and patted her leg. "It's odd hearing your one-sided conversations with him," he said in a low voice.

She snorted; she supposed it would sound odd to him on the occasions when she spoke orcish and Merok responded in draenei. "I'm hoping one day he'll reply in orcish," she said, but she sighed and shrugged. It didn't seem terribly likely anytime soon; Merok was stubborn, no doubt about it. "If he knew Common I wouldn't be as worried. But I think he'll have a difficult time with freedom, only speaking draenei."

"He would've been fine if he'd stayed in Exodar like he should have," Galmak grunted.

"He has to find a place he'll be happy, love," she said mildly. Her husband just grunted again and glanced back at the male draenei.

"And I worry about that," he said with a frown. "He seems a little too given to being happy only around you."

She squeezed his hand. "I'm the first draenei he'd seen in Light knows how long," she said gently. "He's lonely and lost. If he does… see anything in me, he'll forget it once he gets his hooves under him."

They arrived within sight of Spintertree Post just as night was falling on the forest. The outpost's fires gleamed welcomingly through the trees, but Hyara knew it was unlikely that they'd get a roof over their heads tonight. Nevertheless, they stepped off the road and wove their way through the trees until she and Merok were out of sight of any travelers.

"Alright, wish me luck," Galmak said. Hyara kissed him and his wolf loped away toward the Post.

They waited silently, ears alert for any danger in the darkness. Merok's horse stamped the ground restlessly and he soothed it with a whisper. Finally there was the thudding of huge paws on the path and Galmak's voice called out.

"You can come right in," the orc grinned. "They've heard of you here. Thrall must've put word out about the Kanrethad."

Hyara laughed in delight and kissed him. "We're becoming official!"

He chuckled and squeezed her hand as they passed through the outpost's gates with nothing more than a hard look and a nod from the guards.

The inn was all but empty and they had their pick of rooms. Hyara thought she glimpsed a slight smile from Merok as he chose a tiny room with a tauren-sized hammock, but he gave a solemn nod goodnight and shut the door quickly. She fell onto the pallet in her and Galmak's room and yawned hugely.

"Thank the Light, it's dry. And soft," she added with a sigh.

Galmak dropped down beside her and pushed her to lie back on the little bed. "And you've had a better day, and I'd like to make it better still," he grinned. She giggled and pulled his lips down to hers, feeling his calloused but gentle hands slipping beneath her armor. A sudden thought flashed through her mind and she reached up to grab the gold band off her arm, flinging the thing across the room into a corner. It could lie for now. _He_ had no place here.

* * *

The past week's rain had turned the forest's already lush green into a vibrant riot of color, and the ground and foliage steamed in the sunlight that now filtered in dappled patches through the canopy. Hyara inhaled the dank sweetness of wet trees and tried to forget for the moment their reasons for traveling the road to Azshara. Even the party's mounts seemed heartened by the upswing in the weather.

Unlike the east-west stretch of Ashenvale's road, the section of road passing the Warsong Lumber Camp saw a good deal more traffic, both from the Horde and the Alliance. It was one of the forest's ironies that this usually made it safer for both factions to travel; most people only wanted to be left to their business and were therefore willing to leave others alone too. The occasional exception came when the Silverwing Sentinels staged cautionary raids on supply shipments to the camp or lumber being shipped south to the Barrens. But today people only seemed glad of the good weather, and the little group passed Horde, Alliance, and Warsong on the road with no scent of trouble.

It was afternoon by the time they reached Forest Song, and Hyara pulled her horse to a halt at the roadside. "Merok, would you like to see a draenei town?" she asked.

He looked uneasily up the worn trail leading away into the forest in the direction of the town, but he nodded. Galmak jumped off his timber wolf, whistling to Palla, and they plopped down together on the other side of the road to have a snack of dried meat.

"Don't get into trouble," Hyara said teasingly, and her husband winked at her.

"Have you been up this way before?" she asked Merok as they climbed the low hill into the forest.

"I have never been any further north in Ashenvale than the lumber camp," he answered.

"Forest Song isn't strictly only draenei; there are night elves too. But there are many draenei here. This is actually the furthest north I've been in Ashenvale," she added. "Galmak and I never had any reason to go to Azshara." Her brow furrowed anxiously. "I hope we can find a map of Azshara here."

The trees thinned as they topped the hill and the marbled white of night elf ruins peeked out of the greenery. There were a few rounded grey stone draenei buildings scattered around, but most of the settlement had been patched together out of the ruins, lending the town an air of dignified age and mystery. Draenei and night elves moved leisurely around the village in the humid afternoon. Hyara and Merok absorbed into the quiet flow of the town and set about looking for a merchant who could sell them a map of Azshara.

The town didn't so much have streets as it had open grassy areas and worn dirt trails between buildings, and it might have been easy to overlook some of the buildings under their thick fur of ivy. But eventually, tucked against the side of a small round hill, they found a shop that would surely have what they needed. They stepped inside out of the forest's bright green light and Hyara smiled as she was greeted by the familiar smells of ink and old paper. It reminded her of how Gheris's room had always smelled, full of dusty tomes and crackling yellowed scrolls. She skimmed her eyes over the colorful, curl-edged charts adorning the walls until she found what she wanted, inked all in tones of brown and red. Merok reached out a hand and hesitantly brushed his fingers across the rough parchment on the wall.

"Oh, no! No, no, please don't touch unless it's the one you want," a woman's voice called suddenly. Blue-white eyes glowed at them from behind a bookshelf. Merok jerked his hand away as if burned and he turned a blank face down to his hooves. Hyara allowed a brief look of annoyance to cross her face, but of course the woman couldn't know what damage she'd done. The hunter gave Merok's arm a reassuring squeeze and then gestured to the map of Azshara.

"I'd like this one, please," she said.

The draenei woman smiled and glided over to remove the chart, handling it lightly as air at the edges. "This is a beautiful map," she said, nodding. "Night elf drawn. Not particularly old, but still well-drawn and quite accurate. Are you headed there, you and your husband?"

"Yes. We've never been." Hyara realized belatedly that the woman was referring to Merok, but it hardly seemed worth correcting her.

"A wild place, Azshara. Wild and strange. They say evil sleeps there, but it's so beautiful that's hard to believe." The woman laughed lightly. "Even close as we are here we never see trouble from Azshara. Always just the Sentinels and the Warsong, clashing, clashing, clashing." She huffed a sigh and wound a thick red ribbon around the rolled map. "Well. A safe journey to the two of you." Hyara passed her payment and the woman smiled and nodded them on their way.

"I am sorry," Merok said in a low voice once they were out of the shop.

Hyara looked at him in surprise. "There's nothing to be sorry about. You didn't know; I might have done the same thing."

A faint flush crept into his cheeks. "No… I am sorry I said nothing to correct her… I am not your husband."

"Oh." Hyara laughed. "It doesn't matter, Merok; she's a stranger. She only made an assumption. I didn't bother correcting her because it didn't seem important."

When they rejoined the road, Galmak was lounging on a boulder and talking genially with an orc on wolfback.

"There she is now," Hyara heard her husband say. He grinned and stood as she and Merok approached, and the other orc turned. Hyara stifled a laugh at the look of disbelief on the orc's face.

"Safe trip to the Mor'shan Rampart, friend," Galmak said as he hoisted himself into his wolf's saddle. "For the Horde!" He took Hyara's hand as they rode away from the stunned orc.

She snickered. "You're so awful. He might have died of shock."

Galmak grinned back at her. "It was a calculated risk. I decided he could handle it. And now there's someone else who knows about the Kanrethad."

Hyara smiled. "A little at a time."

* * *


	12. Part II: Ch 4: Something Looming

A/N: Oh, what the hell. I'll put up another chapter even though it's only been a day. But this one is short... mwahaha.

* * *

The group crossed the Southfury River, leaving behind the green of Ashenvale and the bubbling rush of the river. Azshara's stillness was as disconcerting as its brooding autumnal beauty. Leaves drifted down like ghosts to land in splashes of red and orange on the withered grass and the sun shone gold and languid in a hazy sky. Now the wind was the only sound besides their mounts' feet crunching on gravel; it moaned in a low whisper around them, stirring their hair and plucking with impish fingers at their clothing. Hyara started as Gink growled low in his throat beside her; a vague, undirected disquiet had settled into his sense.

"I'd say the place seems sinister enough for what we're trying to find," Galmak muttered, for some reason feeling the need to keep his voice low. This land seemed bewitched into sentient watchfulness. Hyara nodded, huddling against the chill wind. Even Merok looked uneasy, his head swiveling slowly as he scanned the trees around them.

_Keep your eyes open, old boy_, she said to Gink, more to comfort herself than because it was necessary. She could tell there was very little chance her cat would ever let his guard down here. Gink snorted mentally.

_Don't make me do all the work_, he replied and she smiled.

A light wind stirred a swirl of leaves beside the path and suddenly Hyara's horse screamed in alarm, dancing sideways and rearing. She felt a strange pain pass through her body in a brief wave and she hugged tightly to her horse, barely managing to keep to the saddle. Galmak grabbed the bridle as the horse came back down and the animal whickered quietly, calm again as suddenly as it had shied.

"What in all hells was that?" Galmak asked worriedly. He glanced around into the trees but saw no signs of anything unusual.

"I think it must have been the leaves," Hyara panted. Her pounding heart was slowing and her fear was fading, but she frowned, remembering that odd pain she'd felt. Had she hurt herself somehow, grabbing to hold onto the horse?

Merok came up beside her and laid a soothing, steadying hand against her horse's mane. The animal seemed perfectly calm now and they continued warily.

The sun took strangely long to set, steeping everything in brilliant red and gold and casting long shadows black as ink stains across the grass. They stopped at the foot of a hill near the path and made camp as the sun finally slid from view behind the mountains to the west and darkness fell. Galmak built a small fire and they huddled close around it to eat a supper of bread and smoked fish. Hyara slipped the map out from where it was tied against one of her packs and examined it in silence for a moment.

"This looks like our hill here," she said, pointing to a tiny bump on the map. Galmak eyed the distance from the river and nodded.

"Looks about right," he agreed.

"And so…" She sighed. "We're back where we started. We're here, and we still have no idea where to go. Damn you, Raizha," she muttered.

Galmak grunted, examining the map more closely. "That orc I talked to on the road mentioned that there were demons in Azshara, and from the looks of this map he was right. And an awful lot of them, at that."

Hyara shivered and pulled her blanket tighter as she rested her head on Galmak's shoulder. Her horse stamped nearby in the shadow of a tree and she felt sorry for their poor mounts, out beyond the fire's heat. The map did show an awful lot of demons, labeled and marked with some kind of odd runic symbol. She traced a finger absently across the rough parchment, then found that it had slid to rest on the dark, shaded area north of their little camp, north of Azshara itself. Hyara's eyes flickered up from the map, peering for an instant northward into the darkness. Raizha was out there somewhere, not far. The fortress was there, and _he_ might… The glint of gold on her arm drew her eyes back and she shuddered. She stood abruptly.

"I've got to sleep now if I can," she sighed, wishing that Galmak wouldn't look at her with such sympathy.

She dreamed that night of her horse rearing up and up until her grip faltered and she fell backward into an abyss where _he_ waited at the bottom. His voice hissed in the darkness. _Mine for eternity, Hyara_.

* * *

Frost glazed the ground in a crystalline grey shell when they woke at dawn. It would melt away into mist when the sun rose higher, but for now Hyara stood shivering as she saddled her horse, stamping right along with the animal to keep warm. They headed north, making roughly for the mountains, keeping watchful for anything unusual that might prove to be a clue to what they were trying to discover. The problem was that everything about Azshara was strange to them. Hyara felt a dark mood growing in her and tried to push it back without much success. Raizha had given her almost nothing to go off of, yet she expected them to discover what she herself hadn't been able to? Hyara was beginning to think Merok might have been right – Raizha should have given them more help if she really expected results.

Again, without warning, her horse neighed and bucked sideways and again Hyara felt a tingling pain flash through her body and fade. She gasped and struggled to control her horse, fighting back a touch of fear. Galmak wheeled around and growled in annoyance.

"If that horse is going to try to throw you every hour on the hour, you're going to ride with me," he said. "What's gotten into him these past two days?"

Hyara shook her head. "It's… I don't think it's my horse." She met Galmak's eyes, wondering if she ought to worry him yet. "There's something strange going on. I've felt funny both times that's happened."

"What do you mean, 'felt funny'?" he asked in alarm.

She bit her lip and looked away. "Well… just funny. It's a little painful."

"Dammit, what is going on here," Galmak muttered in frustration. "Hyara, in that case, I want you to ride with me. Whatever's going on, I don't want to take the risk that you'll get hurt because you can't control your horse."

"I can control my horse just fine. It was probably nothing, anyway." She glared, but without much real spirit. "Oh, alright," she sighed and climbed up onto his wolf. It wasn't as if she minded traveling this way, at least. Merok pulled his horse up beside them and they trudged north once more in silence with her horse trailing riderless.

When it happened for a third time, Galmak had to admit he was half ready to turn around and head straight out of this cursed place. His wolf yelped and shuffled backward in alarm, and Hyara suddenly went rigid in front of him, groaning and then slumping back against him.

Galmak gripped her arms tightly to keep her from falling and she patted his leg. "I'm alright," she gulped, but she didn't feel alright anymore; she felt like she was repeatedly smacking her head against an invisible wall, no matter which way she turned. "At least this must mean we're onto something." She gave a strained laugh.

"This is reminding me too much of what Velen did," Galmak said quietly. Merok looked over at him sharply.

Hyara winced, but she couldn't deny it, much as she wanted to. She frowned, squinting ahead into the distance toward what looked like a ruined town. "Is that on our map?" She pointed toward the ruins.

Galmak unrolled the map. "Yes… just marked as night elf ruins, no name of the place. Maybe we should take a look," he said grimly.

They approached cautiously, the two hunters doing their best to ignore their instincts that screamed out against walking into unknown danger. Merok's horse snorted nervously and Hyara noticed that the draenei gripped the reins with white knuckles. Gink and Palla were nowhere in sight, but Hyara sensed her cat prowling nearby, approaching from a different angle. His nerves were on a knife's edge, but so far he'd seen and sensed nothing.

The wind moaned over the white marble bones of the ancient buildings, shivering the browned leaves of a few trees sprouting from the rubble. All else was still; there were no signs of life or evidence that the place was occupied. Hyara slipped down off the wolf and Galmak and Merok followed her, stepping cautiously over tumbled stone and low, scrubby plants. She shivered involuntarily, staring at a line of crumbling pillars, stark and white like teeth against the golden blue of the morning sky. It was said that the spirits of the ancient night elves haunted the ruins of Azshara, bound in prideful agony to the land that had once harbored their greatest civilization.

Something drew her eye to the moldering line of a nearby wall, perhaps a movement, perhaps only a hint of imagined movement. Had she heard a low voice in the wind, or a sigh? Hyara licked her lips nervously and she felt her hooves moving forward slowly, curiosity and a sudden, deliciously irresistible fear urging her on. Her skin prickled and her breathing quickened; she was quite sure she'd heard a soft, sighing wail wafting in the breeze.

"Hyara?" Galmak called. She heard the scrape of his boots on stone as he stepped over rubble and Merok's hooves clicked not far behind. She was near the wall now, could almost see beyond it…

Blue light flashed beneath her hooves; she froze, staring downward, and the glow of a rune burned brilliant fire into her eyes before the world turned black.

* * *


	13. Part II: Ch 5: Two Men and a Furbolg

A/N: Wewt. I have passed the 100,000 words archived mark.

* * *

"Hyara?" Galmak called, moving to follow her. What was she doing over there? She acted as if she'd seen something. Merok's hooves clopped noisily in the orc's wake.

"Merok, wait over th-" Galmak cut off in astonishment as light flared in a ring of blue fire beneath Hyara. For the space of a heartbeat she stood motionless, gazing downward as if entranced, then the light blazed higher and… she was gone. Galmak was standing on the spot before he even realized he had moved, staring down in disbelief at the mottled white stone where his wife had vanished along with the blue light. He looked around wildly as if he might spot her somewhere nearby. One minute she'd been standing not twenty paces away, the next she was gone without a trace.

"_Hyara!_" he roared, his panic in full tilt. Galmak felt the familiar tingling in his chest and knew his eyes were burning red, but he didn't bother trying to calm himself.

Merok had stopped dead in his tracks with his mouth hanging open. "Hyara? _Kamil ruk gul me?_" Long strides carried him to Galmak's side and the draenei stared down at the stone in shock. He looked up at Galmak. "_Maev daz ante amir golad?_"

"Dammit, Merok, don't play games now," Galmak barked and the draenei shrank reflexively from the red glow in the orc's eyes. Galmak swore and paced away, running a hand distractedly through his hair. "Alright. Where did she go. _Palla!_"

There was a sense of worry and pain. _I'm a bit to the north with Gink. He's not doing so well. He'll be alright in a minute, but-_

_Does he know what happened? Can he feel her? _he asked sharply.

_No. One second she was there and the next he couldn't feel her at all._

_She's gone. She just disappeared right in front of me. Get over here and help me figure this out._

His wolf didn't argue and she soon came loping around a ruined wall. Poor Gink dragged in after her, his eyes feral with pain and confusion.

Galmak grabbed up a few small chunks of stone from the rubble strewn around, then strode back to the spot where Hyara had disappeared and knelt. He arranged the stone chunks in a rough circle where he remembered the light had flared and examined the spot closely, first using only his eyes. He could see nothing unusual; it was nothing but the same pitted, grey-white stone as made up the rest of the ruin. Palla nosed over, following the path Hyara had taken to get here and ending at the circle Galmak had made with the stone chips.

_I don't smell anything here but Hyara, you, and Merok_, she sighed.

Galmak pressed his palms to the stone inside the circle, closed his eyes, and cautiously reached out with his senses. He almost shouted with triumph as he brushed over something faint, a residual feeling of shifting energy, fading quickly but still discernable against the dead stone. So his wife hadn't quite vanished without trace. He frowned. "It feels arcane," he said. After the way Hyara had responded earlier, he'd expected they were dealing with holy magic.

Merok knelt and also pressed a palm to the inside of the circle. "_Za kar refir maez ruk_. _Gul mishun re zend_," he said with fear in his eyes.

Galmak glared at him fiercely and stood. "You listen to me. I am going to find my wife. You're free to help; I'll take any help I can get. If you have anything to say that might help get Hyara back, you'd damn well better say it and stop with this foolish game of yours. If this isn't worth abandoning your pride over, I don't know what is."

Merok rose from his crouch, his eyes never leaving the orc. "_Zi alar zekul zii kar ruk ante_. I will dirty my tongue for her sake if I must." His accent was thick and his mouth seemed to form the orcish words only grudgingly.

Galmak nodded curtly with relief, ignoring the insult that meant nothing to him right now. He turned slowly in a circle, reexamining their surroundings. Gink seemed to have pulled together some measure of control; he was sniffing over everything in the area with an avid, obsessive thoroughness. If anyone had been here recently, he and Palla would find the evidence. Someone had cast that rune, but how? And how recently? Galmak had no way of knowing from the faded ghost of the magic itself.

"Something took her. She cannot be dead," Merok's voice grated behind him.

"No. She's alive somewhere and we're going to find her," Galmak said firmly. Once more, for good measure, he let his senses reach out to where the rune had been. It was almost gone; even as he found it the magic bled away to nothing. The stone was only stone once more, with nothing to distinguish it from anyplace else. But that rune had been tremendously powerful while it had lasted; it had surely been cast by someone very skilled in the ways of the arcane.

_Anything?_ he sent to Palla.

He felt a sense of concentration and a push to his mind to be still and wait a moment. He stalked back and forth across the scarred stone floor, trying to keep himself from imagining every awful outcome of Hyara's disappearance. After a few moments, Palla spoke from somewhere east of the ruins.

_We're finding trails to the north and the east. None of them ever come very close to the ruins, though._

_Well, what is it?_ he asked eagerly. _It still might be something. Anything_.

_They're relatively old trails; nothing beyond animals has come here for close to a week. The scents we found seem to belong to furbolgs_, his wolf said a little apologetically.

Furbolgs. Galmak cursed in disappointment. He'd never heard of any furbolg dabbling in the arcane, let alone achieving the kind of power the rune had indicated. _We may as well look into it anyway_, he growled. _There's certainly nothing else here_.

He started toward his timber wolf and only then became aware of Merok again; Galmak had been so wrapped in his focus to find Hyara that he'd momentarily forgotten the draenei's presence. Merok was staring at him oddly, and Galmak suddenly wondered for the first time in his life what he looked like when he was talking to Palla.

"Sorry," he said gruffly. "I was talking to my wolf. She and Hyara's cat found some trails made by furbolgs east of here. I can't see how they would have anything to do with that rune, but it's more than we've got right here and there's always the chance they can tell us something if we can find them."

Merok nodded and swung himself up onto his horse, and the two men sped away to find Palla and Gink to the east.

It was slow going at first, pushing carefully through dense brush while trying not to make enough racket to send anything within a mile of them running for cover or coming straight at them for mischief. Palla and Gink moved forward cautiously so as not to lose the scent or miss anything that might be important, but the trails continued to be old and they found no sign of any recent activity in the area.

"They're still not finding anything recent," Galmak growled. He realized he was sweating even in the chill noon wind and he wiped his brow impatiently.

"But you are sure we did the right thing to leave there," Merok said.

Galmak looked over at him. "There was nothing there. Like you said yourself, something took her. I think our best hope now is to find out as much as we can about those ruins, and the only way to do that is to find someone to ask."

The draenei turned his solemn face forward. "Whatever you think is best must be, master."

"Never call me that again, Merok," the orc snarled. "I hope you didn't start talking just so you could goad me." Galmak took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. His temper had reached its frayed end, but he knew he'd achieve nothing by allowing Merok to provoke him.

"If she returns there will be no one there. She will be alone and she will have nothing," the draenei said woodenly.

"She's not coming back the same way she left," Galmak said, calm again. "But she is coming back. I'll die before I give up finding her."

Merok's eyes were fixed intently ahead where Palla and Gink slipped silently through the thick brush. "As will I," he whispered.

Galmak looked away and scowled. _What's wrong with me? That ought to make me happy he's willing to die for her_. He pushed those thoughts away and spoke to Palla. _Anything yet?_

_Same_. He could sense her frustration. Obviously these furbolgs didn't make frequent trips out this way, which decreased the likelihood that they'd be able to tell them anything useful. He felt a sense of hopelessness rising and he did his best to suppress it.

They traveled all day with only a few brief rests, making slow, meticulous progress over the ground, but their search remained fruitless. Worry and frustration gnawed at Galmak until he felt there'd be nothing left of him soon. Merok said nothing unless spoken to, which only served to darken the orc's mood. Finally, as the sun began to drop behind the mountains, they halted in a shallow ravine to make camp. Galmak lit a small fire, sheltering it behind a boulder to provide at least a partial screen from the wind and hostile eyes, and then he dropped down wearily to force himself to eat something. He rested a hand on Gink's head and the cat touched his nose to Galmak's leg in empathy. _We're in the same boat_, Gink's eyes seemed to say.

"Were you ever her master?" Merok asked suddenly. The firelight danced orange and lurid on his ghost-white face.

Galmak looked at him in surprise. "No. She's never had a-" He stopped abruptly and scowled into the fire. Merok stared at him with unfathomable eyes.

"I'm glad you did not exploit her like that," the draenei said.

"Not all orcs are hell-forged monsters, Merok," Galmak said grimly. He unrolled his bedroll and collapsed with an exhaustion he knew would not let him sleep easily. _Wake me soon_, he said to Palla.

_Of course_, she responded, but she wouldn't. He needed the sleep.

* * *

Galmak awoke with a nightmare fading from his mind. He pulled the blanket up and mopped sweat off his face, then lay still to listen to Azshara's night sounds. He heard only the sigh of the wind and the occasional chatter of a small animal or bird in the brush and sparse pines surrounding their camp. The fire had burned low and the chill of the ground had soaked through the bedroll. Merok slept like the dead nearby, his thick chest rising and falling rhythmically.

_Palla?_ Galmak tried hesitantly, not wanting to wake her if she slept.

_Alright, if you're awake anyway you can take over_.

He grunted and settled his back against the trunk of a pine. He should have known she'd take more than her share of the watch to spare him. But sleep was cold comfort, since even it couldn't keep his fear at bay. Hyara was out there somewhere right now, in gods knew what place and with whom. Galmak tossed a few more branches onto the fire and for the thousandth time made a plea to the ancestors to keep her safe.

A bird cried suddenly in the trees and Merok stirred, but his breathing resumed its regularity and he slept on. It had been only the briefest jolt in the night, but Galmak's hunter's instincts told him that something was different now. He sat against the tree, still as stone, turning his head slowly to examine the ravine. His senses stretched out into the darkness beyond what he could see and told him of a furtive presence off to the east, just at the edge of feeling. But it was moving west, and it was headed for them. He gave Palla's mind a careful nudge and she woke, then he rose silently with his bow and set off into the darkness.

Galmak moved almost soundlessly through the brush toward the presence he'd felt, considering what to do. The way the thing was moving, it was almost certainly trying to sneak up on them; whether out of ill will or curiosity was uncertain. It would be best if he could capture the thing if it were hostile rather than kill it; there was always a chance it might know something useful. Palla circled out away from his side, moving to close in from behind once they reached it.

There was a snort up ahead and an abrupt crack from a breaking branch. Galmak froze and strained his eyes in the darkness, spying a hulking dark shape behind a bush. To his surprise, it spoke.

"Who's skulking?" a low, scratchy voice called in Common.

"Someone who's wondering what you're doing heading toward my campsite," Galmak called back cautiously.

There was a pause; then, "And I am a one who wonders why you're flitting around all flighty in our home-ground."

_It's a furbolg_, Palla said with satisfaction. Success at last.

His own nose had already told him that, but Galmak was glad of the confirmation. Now to convince the furbolg they weren't hostile and deserved help.

"Is this Timbermaw territory?" he asked. He hadn't been aware they'd spread this far west.

"Aye," the furbolg said shortly and shifted partway from behind the bush. Glittering black eyes stared out at Galmak.

"I'm known to your people then. I've helped them out some in Felwood and Winterspring."

"I wouldn't know the least about that," the furbolg said. "But if you want to share your fire-warmth and fill my grumbling belly I'd be gleeful."

Galmak smiled wryly. "I can arrange for that. This way." The giant bear lumbered out from behind the bush and followed Galmak back toward the camp. The orc stopped short when they reached the firelight; Merok was nowhere to be seen.

_Where did he go?_ he asked Palla.

_He's hiding close by behind a tree_, she sent back with some amusement. _His tail is sticking out; you can see him just south of you._

Galmak grunted, but decided to leave him be for the time. This furbolg might still turn out to be trouble despite his seeming harmlessness, and it might be useful to have Merok in hiding.

That supposed advantage didn't last for long though. "What's that one doing?" The bear-man pointed a long furry arm toward Merok.

"He's a little shy," Galmak answered, a slight smile twitching his lips. "Merok, we know you're there," he called in orcish.

The big draenei shuffled reluctantly from behind the tree and sat back down by the fire, his eyes downcast.

The furbolg cocked his shaggy head and looked askance at the draenei. "Has the long-tail never seen a furbolg before?" he asked.

"He doesn't speak Common," Galmak said. "Anyway, my name's Galmak." He handed the bear a generous piece of smoked fish and gestured toward the fire. The furbolg sat and set to with a vengeance.

"I'm Kark," he said between mouthfuls. "Why do you sneak and prowl in our home-ground?"

Galmak cleared his throat. "Well… I'm looking for someone. I'm wondering if you might be able to help me with that."

Kark paused and swung his furry brown head around to look at Galmak. "A lost one in Azshara is a one in much trouble." He took a last bite of fish and looked around as if expecting more to appear in front of him. Galmak handed him more fish and the furbolg snapped his jaws appreciatively.

"Well, the thing is, she's not exactly lost. My mate was taken by someone."

"Ah, hmm. Plenty of things to do the taking here."

"Does he know anything?" Merok asked, his eyes flickering hesitantly over the huge furbolg.

"I'm getting around to that, hold on," Galmak growled. He turned his attention back to Kark. "Do you know of anyone here who's very skilled in the arcane, who might be able to cast powerful runes?"

Kark froze with his mouth open and a piece of fish hanging from his jaw. "Nope. Know of none such a one," he choked out, and stuffed more food in his mouth.

"This is very important," Galmak said carefully. "If you do know anything, I'd be grateful to hear it. Somebody who might cast runes on the ground and leave them, somebody who might… uh… have an interest in demons," he finished.

Kark raised his furry arms above his head and stretched slowly. "I'd best step out and away now. Nice sharing your food." He rose and turned away from the fire, but Galmak rose too and stepped squarely in front of the massive furbolg.

"That's right. It was nice for you to eat our food and run off. I'm not asking for much in return; just a little information." The orc planted his feet firmly and stared up at the bear-man. Merok had risen too and was standing behind Kark. His height and bulk were a closer match to the furbolg's, but Galmak still didn't think they'd fare very well if it came to blows. Of course, he'd do just about anything to avoid that anyway.

"That information you seek… the giving is troubleful for me," Kark said nervously. He glanced around at the brush surrounding the circle of firelight as if searching for a bolt hole.

"She's in danger. He must tell us," Merok said. He suddenly stepped around to Galmak's side and spat something in draenei into Kark's face. The furbolg drew back angrily and growled.

"Are you trying to make him angry so he'll never tell us?" Galmak said to Merok in outrage. "He'll cough it up, I just have to talk him into it. Now stay out of this and sit back down!"

Galmak had never seen anything but calmness in Merok's eyes, but now the draenei turned on him in cold anger. "You tell me I am not your slave, but you order me around and expect me to obey. Make up your mind, orc. Are you a monster, or are you not?" It was as if Merok's anger, once unleashed, couldn't stop there, and he suddenly shoved Galmak hard. The orc, caught by surprise, tripped and landed on the ground with a grunt. Merok turned back to the furbolg and asked an angry question in draenei. Kark growled something back in Ursine and then glanced down at Galmak. The orc got to his feet and grabbed Merok by the arm, forcing him to turn.

"You listen to me, draenei. Whatever you may think of me or my people is irrelevant right now. Hyara is lost and she may die if we don't find her soon." He stopped and took a breath. He didn't want to go on, but if it would help get her back, so be it. "I know you love her. I'm counting on that to make you a better help in this. Is that not enough anymore? You'd rather start trouble with me than find her?" Galmak was breathing hard in anger and he realized his voice had risen to a near-shout.

Merok opened his mouth, but then snapped it shut and stared down at his hooves. He looked back up and met the orc's eyes. "I am sorry," he said. He threw a look at Kark and walked slowly back to the fire where he turned around and stood, his eyes fixed on Galmak once more.

The furbolg raised thick eyebrows. "Interesting," he said in orcish.

Galmak started, but then he shrugged. "Alright, fine," he said to the furbolg in orcish. "Please. If you can help us at all, I have to find out what happened to her."

Kark shuffled huge paws on the ground and glanced around nervously before returning to his spot by the fire. "My knowings are little, but I'll tell you. My tribe would hullabaloo to find out I speak of him."

"Him?" Galmak asked eagerly.

"Yes. He is called… his name's…" Kark gulped. "Azeos. The mountains are his home-ground. He's a demon hunter."

* * *


	14. Part II: Ch 6: Trapped

A/N: Another short chapter. The next one will be too, but I'll post it soon.

* * *

Hyara awoke to the most complete blackness she'd ever known in her life and an overwhelming stench that made her bleary head spin. She retched and brought up her breakfast all over… what was it? A stone floor? It was cold and hard, certainly. With that realization she became aware of another sensation: the pain pounding steadily through her body. She moved her limbs and found them all in working order. She struggled dizzily upright and shuffled her hooves cautiously around her, feeling for a wall, a door, any kind of furniture. Her hoof encountered something spongy and slick, and she jerked back in revulsion. Nausea overwhelmed her again and she doubled over. _Oh Light, where in all hells am I?_

She remembered the rune, flaring blue beneath her in the ruins. It had been connected somehow, _must_ have been connected, with the spikes of pain she'd felt since coming to Azshara. Someone had caused her to feel that pain, someone had cast the rune, and now she had been brought… here. She peered around in the blackness, but her eyes still could tell her nothing. It was as if her head were wrapped a hundred times in thick cloth; she might as well have been blind. And that smell… she pulled her shirt up to cover her nose, but it did no good.

She needed light. The thought steadied her and gave her a focus. If she could get light, she could see her way around this place and look for an exit. She reached inside herself and tapped into her mana, then tried to imagine that she were about to fire an arrow. Pain pulsed through her in waves and threatened to break her concentration, but she forced herself to ignore it. She was about to fire an arrow and she needed… Yes! There it was. A feeble, flickering ball of silvery-blue light sprang to life above her right hand. She stared straight at it despite the strain to her light-starved eyes, concentrating as it grew and gained strength until it shone steady and bright. She smiled in satisfaction. She'd never tried doing that before without an arrow to focus on. Then she turned her eyes outward. Momentarily blinded by the light in her hand, she stood staring into the darkness allowing her eyes to adjust. Shapes slowly began to form around her and her mind began to make sense of what she saw. Hyara gasped in the putrid air and lost the contents of her stomach again.

She was standing in the center of what looked like a small, round cavern, rock walls rising rough and featureless on all sides to meet in a low vault above her head. And piled on the stone floor, nearly everywhere but the place she stood, were demons. They were all very, very dead demons. Some she could tell what they had been; she could see corpses of satyrs, felguards, a few succubae. Most were completely unidentifiable and still more were only bones. She spun around on the spot, searching now in panicked horror, but she could see no evidence of a door or any kind of exit. The pain she'd felt since she'd awoken, kept momentarily at bay by her shock, surged back and she fell to the floor gasping. The light snuffed out and darkness crashed back down. Hyara screamed then, no longer able to control her terror. Her screams rang frantic and hollow off the stone walls and died into sobs. Something very certain inside her told her that this pain was going to kill her eventually. She was going to die here in the dark, surrounded by demon carrion, and Galmak would never even know what had happened to her. _Gink_… But there was no response. She was alone.

Hours passed; or at least it might have been hours. Hyara sat in the dark, not bothering to conjure the light again since it would only mean she'd have to see her hellish surroundings. Who had brought her to this horrible place, and why? The only answer she could come up with was not much of an answer: she must have found whoever it was that had been causing such trouble for Raizha. Hyara reached in sudden hope to feel the gold band on her arm and snatched the thing off. Perhaps if she could contact Raizha… 

She turned the band over in her hands, squeezed it, tried to channel her mana into it. She held it tightly and thought of Raizha, called to her, even fearfully repeated a few of the words she'd once heard a warlock say when summoning a demon. The gold remained warm and inert in her hands; it was only a gold band, still only _his_ discarded ornament.

And yet still, if someone had brought her here, someone might be nearby. Hyara stood suddenly, head whirling from the pain that had been slowly but steadily increasing since she'd woken. She conjured the little globe of light again and focused her attention on the walls and ceiling, trying to ignore what littered the floor. Air was coming in here from somewhere or she would have been dead before she awoke. If air was getting in and someone were nearby… She screamed as loudly as she could, covering her ears against the echoes that bounced deafeningly around the chamber. No matter what malice anything out there might harbor toward her, she would gladly face it a hundred times over before she would stay quietly in here to join these demons in death. Hyara screamed until her voice was ready to give out and then suddenly, as if a blue sun had burned its way into hell, a rune blazed beneath Hyara's hooves and she winked out like a snuffed candle.

* * *


	15. Part II: Ch 7: I am Draenei

A/N: As promised, here's the next.

* * *

They waited until dawn to set out for the mountains. Galmak had wanted to leave immediately, but Kark's descriptions of some of the things they might run into in the dark had made the orc reluctantly agree to "use the night for sleeping and the day for creeping," as the furbolg had put it. They would be no good to Hyara dead, and Galmak knew himself well enough to know that his fear and worry would make him more reckless than usual. He had tried to go back to sleep, but when dawn came he guessed he'd only slept about an hour more. From the sound of it Merok hadn't fared much better.

But now they were off, with the mountains before them and Kark's directions fresh in Galmak's mind. A demon hunter… Galmak rode tall and determined, but inwardly he quailed. There were legends of them going back millennia, many dark and terrifying stories he'd thrilled in as a child. Azeroth had a long history with demon hunters, paid them a dark respect, and avoided them like the plague. They were beings of great power and awesome wrath against the creatures they hunted. Galmak had little doubt about why Hyara had been taken, and it made cold terror sit like a stone in the pit of his stomach.

* * *

Daylight blinded Hyara, flooding through her closed eyelids. She was once again lying on the ground, but this time she felt dry, scratchy grass beneath her and the cold wind that blew across her face was the sweetest thing she'd ever smelled. The pain was gone, leaving her limp and weak, but she struggled to push herself up nonetheless. She couldn't quite manage it and ended up plopping back to sit on the grass.

"So this is the little mouse who has been tripping all my traps and sticking in none of them 'til now."

The deep, nasal voice startled her and she slit her eyes open, squinting against the light. Her eyes were beginning to adjust and she found that she could see again, but what she saw made her shrink away in alarm. A night elf man stood ten paces away, clothed in a long red kilt decorated in shimmering runes. His chest and feet were bare in the cold air, and his long, cerulean hair was tied back high on his head behind two small, twisted black horns. His features were craggy and would have been handsome if not for the cruel smile he wore; his eyes… his eyes were missing. A red band of cloth wrapped his face, covering sunken, empty sockets flaring with a soft orange glow. In his hand he held a massive warglaive, dripping with some sort of red fire. Hyara knew what he was, as would anyone who had grown up on Azeroth. He was a living dark myth, a horror tale come to life. He was a demon hunter.

His lips curled back in a smile over sharp fangs. "Do you have a name, little eredar?"

Hyara managed at last to stand shakily. "H- Hyara. But I- I am draenei," her voice wavered, small and afraid.

"I am called Azeos. And do you know what I am, little eredar?"

She nodded and swallowed. "I'm draenei," she said again.

The grass crunched beneath his feet as he closed half the distance to her. Hyara's eyes kept flitting to that wicked warglaive, its blades now almost within reach of her. He held it casually and loosely, but with a deadly balance that said he could put it to expert use.

His voice dropped intimately and he smiled again. "I see the demon fire within you. I know what you are; you cannot hide."

Hyara was trembling now, faced with this being, but also faced with the knowledge that he could truly _see_, undeniably, what she wished so fervently wasn't there. But Velen had said she wasn't a full demon, wasn't even half a demon. This man might see what she wanted to keep hidden, but he must surely also see that she was not like those things he'd imprisoned in the cavern.

"If you see that, you must also see that that part of me is small." She tried to keep her voice steady now and her eyes locked firmly on his face, away from the blades glinting in his hand. Then on impulse she took a gamble, "That's why you couldn't keep me in any but your most powerful trap."

"An impressive disguise, I'll admit." He raised his hand abruptly and made a few leisurely gestures, staring at her all the while with eyeless sockets. Crackling blue light began to flicker around his hand and he frowned minutely, looking at her. "You must know what I'm doing… Why do you not defend yourself, eredar? If you think you can," he added mockingly.

Hyara found that she'd retreated backward several paces and brought her back up against hard stone. Azeos advanced on her, white-hot blue light dancing across his face. She shook her head, sweat trickling into her eyes. She could feel the heat from that spell.

"I can't," she whispered, knowing beyond doubt that if he decided to kill her he could. "I'm not what you think I am. Please, I'm not-" Hyara screamed as white light jumped into her body and ripped jagged agony through her. It was worse by far than what Velen had done and it sent her thudding stiffly to the ground to lie paralyzed with pain. It subsided as suddenly as it had come and she lay panting, staring numbly at the sky and listening to the roaring in her ears.

She dimly heard Azeos speak above her. "That's it? You have no fight, eredar? You would let me kill you where you lie?" He snorted with what sounded like disappointment.

"I… am draenei," Hyara forced out in a whisper.

* * *


	16. Part II: Ch 8: Battle

A/N: Thank you to everyone who's been reading and reviewing! The next story in the series is Bloodscry.

* * *

When Galmak heard Hyara's scream he learned it was possible to feel both intense relief and unmitigated terror all at once. He roared and his wolf surged forward up the mountain path they'd been climbing, Merok galloping hard on his heels. She couldn't be far; no one could scream so hard they'd be heard at any great distance… Sweat rolled off his face and his stomach felt like it had been forced into his throat. He wouldn't let himself think that he'd just heard the last sound his wife would ever make.

They topped a shoulder of the mountain and a grassy hollow lay before them off one side of the path. There was a hut of night elf design surrounded by pines near a sheer rock wall, a small pond at one end of the clearing… All that went through Galmak's mind in a flash. The only thing his eyes really saw was Hyara, lying limp and still near the cliff wall, the demon hunter Azeos standing over her. Galmak roared again, danger be damned, and charged into the hollow.

Dimly, through the roaring in her ears, Hyara heard what sounded like Galmak's fiercest war cry. Azeos turned his empty sockets away from her and looked across the little mountain valley with cool interest. Then suddenly Galmak's face was above her and relief washed through her and chased away the last ragged edges of pain. Her arms shot out, closing around him in a death grip, and he pulled her up to cradle her in a fierce hug. She looked over Galmak's shoulder to see Merok standing in front of Azeos, hooves planted firmly, brandishing one of Galmak's axes. Gink and Palla were both snarling behind the demon hunter. In spite of it all, Hyara had to laugh softly. She'd never felt more loved.

"What an odd display," Azeos sneered with a twisted smile. "Such loyalty from mortals to a demon."

Galmak picked Hyara up and gently set her back against the rock wall, then turned with a snarl to face Azeos, putting himself in front of his wife. "She's not a demon, and you ought to know that. Aren't you supposed to be able to see that in her?"

Azeos smiled. "I do see it. I see her demon fire. I also see that a great deal of her is dark, as mortals are. For all that, she is dangerous."

"Is she dangerous to you?" Merok asked.

The demon hunter considered him for a moment; then his hand shot out in a sudden flash of movement and ripped the axe from the draenei's hands. "Of course not," Azeos sneered.

The draenei looked down at his hooves, then back up to Azeos. "Then who is she dangerous to?" he asked. "She is not dangerous to me. She is not dangerous to Galmak, or to anyone else I have ever seen her with."

"She is a demon," Azeos spat. "Or at least some part of a demon. I have made it my calling to rid the world of her kind of filth."

"Even if that's true, she's not what you're sworn to destroy," Galmak growled. "It seems to me you ought to learn to make the distinction."

Hyara pulled herself wearily to her hooves, clutching at the cliff wall for support. "I can't stop you from killing me," she gulped. "But please, let them go safely from here. They've done nothing wrong." She'd seen Galmak one last time before death and that was more than she'd hoped for.

Azeos turned his glowing empty sockets on her and stood silently for a moment. She stared back at him unwaveringly, locked in his gaze. He approached her slowly and Galmak moved closer to her, growling menacingly at the demon hunter, but Azeos paid him no heed.

He reached out a hand slowly and lightly rested his fingers against her cheek. "Perhaps you are not a true de-"

Hyara gasped as tingling warmth washed suddenly down her cheek, through her neck, and into her arm. The gold band around her arm blazed with fire, searing her skin, and she jerked back from the touch just as a billowing cloud of black shadow swirled up from the ground not ten paces from where they stood. Azeos snarled and spun around, his warglaive poised and ready in his hands.

"Well done, Hyara." Raizha stood before them, smiling coolly, her beautiful dark eyes fixed steadily on the night elf.

"You!" Azeos spat.

"Oh yes, me, Azeos." She smiled languidly at the demon hunter and twitched her wings. "It seems now I have found you on my own terms and can repay you for all the trouble you've caused me."

Azeos's face flicked for an instant back toward Hyara, and Raizha laughed. "Don't blame the poor girl. This is all entirely above her head. She was a useful tool; nothing more." The succubus stalked closer to the demon hunter, hips and tail swaying seductively. "You see, Azeos, I know what interests you. I knew by her very nature she would attract your attention, and once that happened, she would fall into one of those traps you are so fond of. And then you would fall into mine," Raizha finished in a whisper, twining a lock of his hair around her finger. She turned and moved away again, a smug smile on her lips, and Azeos shook himself and seemed to wake from a trance.

Hyara had stood gaping through it all, but now her outrage burst like a cloud. "You knew who I was trying to find! You used me! I almost died in- in wherever that horrible place was. He almost killed me just now! Did you save my life so you could kill me later when it suited you better, Raizha?" she shouted, her eyes flashing.

Raizha's lips twisted and she glanced at Galmak. His eyes were blazing red and his fists were clenching and unclenching slowly. "I never had any intention of seeing you dead in all this." She flicked her tail dismissively and laughed lightly, but there was a faint sound of regret in her voice. "I would have found you."

"Neither you nor anyone else would have found me in that trap of his," Hyara said flatly.

Raizha opened her mouth as if to speak again, but then she spun around, turning quickly away from the draenei. Azeos was poised lightly on his bare feet, following Raizha's every move with a small smile curving his lips. The warglaive rested loosely in his hands.

"I see you did not come alone, Raizha." He flashed her a deadly grin.

"Oh, no. No, no indeed, Azeos. Surely you wouldn't expect me to give you a fair fight?"

"I would hardly call a few felguards much of an advantage for you," he laughed.

Hyara's skin prickled at that and she turned her senses outward, looking uneasily toward the trees surrounding the tiny mountain valley on three sides. Yes, she could feel them now; Raizha hadn't come alone. There were at least ten demons waiting out there. She, Galmak, and Merok drew closer together, feeling the looming threat crackling in the air.

Raizha and Azeos were circling each other now like predator and prey, but it was impossible to tell which was the hunter and which the hunted. Their eyes glinted with deadly focus and they each wore the same hungry, twisted smile. Raizha began to mutter under her breath in a sing-song voice words that were at once melodic and harsh, some of them vaguely familiar to Hyara like twisted, corrupted cousins of words in her own language. Darkness pulsed outward from the demoness's extended hands and was met in midair by an explosion of silvery light.

A huge demon burst suddenly out of the trees to the left of the little group, saw them, and raised its axe with a roar. Galmak shoved Hyara to the ground behind him and grabbed up the axe that Azeos had dropped after taking it from Merok.

"Merok!" the orc shouted. "We need more weapons!"

The draenei's normally placid eyes were wide in fear, but he dashed off toward Galmak's timber wolf where it stood against the cliff wall. Galmak dodged the felguard's first ponderous swing and tried to cut in underneath to slice at its legs. Hyara crawled closer to Merok on weak knees. If Galmak could just keep it occupied a few seconds longer… Merok had extricated Galmak's bow and now he tossed it and several arrows toward Hyara. She aimed and the arrow flew, embedding itself in the demon's back and distracting the thing long enough for Galmak to hook a jagged point of his axe into the felguard's weapon and send it thudding out of reach. The demon turned in rage toward the source of the arrow and barreled toward Hyara. Without thinking, she rolled backward and raised her hooves, gathering every ounce of strength she had left, and sent a powerful kick crunching into the felguard's gut. At the same moment Galmak's axe came whistling down and landed with a wet thud in the thing's back. The demon toppled sideways and lay still. The three of them turned, panting, to the chaos in the clearing.

Azeos's warglaive spun outward all at once in a fiery arc, slicing the air toward Raizha's head. But the demoness finished a chant in a scream and a dark, pulsating mist sprang up, blocking the blade in a shower of shadowy sparks. The demon hunter howled like an animal as the dark magic jarred his arm, but it was a howl of delight and excitement. He twisted away with his blade spinning after him, and now blue light glowed around his hands and flew outward, splintering into jagged spears that went hissing off toward the trees. The rest of the felguards were advancing now, and the light spears pieced several of them. A few of them fell, but most of the demons were too resilient to be taken down so easily and they only howled in rage and continued their charge toward Azeos.

"What the hell do we do," Galmak growled. "That bitch or the bastard who almost killed you?"

Hyara would have laughed if she hadn't been afraid of dying any minute. She swallowed and looked around at the clearing. "We kill demons." She nodded firmly. "But not Raizha. We'll have to leave them to themselves; that's beyond us."

"Right," Galmak growled in determination. "You heard her, Merok; let's go." He snatched up his bow and quiver and Hyara grabbed her own. Merok handled Galmak's axes awkwardly, but the death of the felguard seemed to have uncovered hidden strength in him and he followed the two hunters with deadly calm.

The felguards were obviously some of Raizha's better servants; they weren't going down easily and Azeos was struggling with several at a time while also blocking Raizha's spells. A brilliant blue rune pulsed suddenly to life beneath one of the demons and the thing vanished. Hyara shuddered, knowing just where it had gone and what fate awaited it. She and Galmak raised their bows toward another and buried several arrows in its back before it had even recognized the second source of danger. The demon roared and turned toward them in a charging stagger, black blood dribbling down its back and sizzling on the ground. Merok braced his hooves as the demon came nearer and he hurled an axe, sending it sinking squarely into the felguard's neck.

"Beginner's luck," Galmak grunted, but he grinned at the draenei.

Only two felguards were standing now. Galmak whooped, feeling the blood fury coursing through him, and drew one of the demons away from Azeos with a few well-placed arrows. But the other demon, as if realizing that it would be the last if its fellow went down, charged also. Galmak cursed in rage and sent an arrow toward the second one, but the first felguard was upon him and his arrow flew wide. Hyara shouted to Gink, sending him at the second felguard, and loosed an arrow at it. The demon veered at her with a speed she hadn't anticipated and suddenly she was struggling to dodge its blows. She heard Galmak shout and then there was the dull crunch of metal striking chain armor. Hyara screamed to him and frantically tried to dodge around the huge demon. The felguard grinned grotesquely, sensing her distraction, and its axe came swooping down. She twisted barely in time to avoid the sharp blade but the felguard sent the flat edge crashing down on her head.

Hyara crumpled to the ground with the world vibrating and spinning around her. She heard, strangely, a harsh shout from Merok and she saw the felguard's ugly face hovering above her. She watched dully as the demon raised its axe to finish its work. Then it was as if the world had suddenly split open with a deafening thunderclap. Darkness exploded in the air and the felguard howled, writhing in a cloud of swarming black energy and then dissolving to nothing. There was an almost simultaneous blast of blue light that made the pines jump in stark shadows even in the glare of daylight. Sudden silence fell deafeningly. Hyara rolled painfully to her side, her head swimming, and a sob of relief escaped her as she saw Galmak struggling to his feet, a dead felguard beside him. Merok was lying on the ground nearby, but he rolled over painfully and pushed himself up. Sudden laughter rang out behind Hyara and she turned.

Azeos stood in the center of the clearing with his glaive speared into the ground beside him. Raizha lay at his feet, still but for the slight heaving of her chest. Black blood pooled beneath her, spreading outward in widening rivulets across the ground. The demon hunter knelt and rested a hand on her forehead, then whispered something. He rose and stepped away from the succubus, raising his hands.

"Wait!" Hyara screamed, then wondered if that broken cry had really been her voice. A demon lay dying, and somehow all she felt was grief. In a daze Hyara scrambled to her hooves and stumbled to where Raizha lay. She knelt and the succubus's black eyes glittered up at her.

"Raizha…" she said softly. She felt tears sliding down her cheeks.

"I am sorry, Hyara." The demoness smiled calmly and took a rasping breath. "Live well with your orc."

Hyara took her hand, finding it surprisingly warm and not unlike her own. She felt a faint squeeze to her palm and then the succubus's eyes closed and her chest stilled. Raizha was gone.

Hyara felt a hand on her shoulder and then Galmak's strong arms were helping her up.

"You're bleeding," she said numbly. There was a wound on his shoulder and his mail tunic was slick with blood at the spot. She laid her hands gently on his shoulder and channeled the holy Light of her meager healing abilities into his body. Galmak ignored the pain as he took her into his arms and held her tightly for a moment, oblivious to everything around them.

"You are an odd one, little eredar."

She looked up from Galmak's shoulder to see Azeos staring at them, his face contorted in a bemused frown.

"I mourn her because she deserved it," Hyara said in a tired voice. "She was a demon, but… she had her redeeming qualities."

Azeos studied her silently for a moment. "A demon is a demon," he said. "And I will hunt them until death takes me. But I can also tell when I do not see a demon." He drew a rune in the air above Raizha's body and blue flames licked up suddenly out of the ground, intense and consuming. "Leave Azshara, little eredar, and hope you never have occasion to cross me again."

* * *

Ashenvale was green and alive in the afternoon light; the Warsong road flowed with traffic. Hyara stood beside the path to Forest Song smiling up at Merok, relief and sadness warring within her. He had decided to stay here and now it was time to say goodbye.

"I will find my way here," he said. "It's not so big and intimidating as Exodar, but I will still be with my own people. I will learn."

"I know you will," Hyara said and took his hand. He hugged her suddenly then, wrapping his huge arms tightly around her small frame, and she laughed. "We'll meet again, Merok. This isn't goodbye forever."

A solemn smile quirked his face as he released her, and he nodded. "No. I know we will meet again, Hyara." He squeezed her hand and gave a nod to Galmak where he stood nearby. The orc saluted as Merok mounted up. Hyara watched with some sadness and worry as the big draenei disappeared down the road to Forest Song.

"It's for the best. He'll be alright," Galmak said quietly at her side.

She turned and smiled. "Oh, I know he will be." She sighed. "But what about us, love? I for one could use a rest. I'm feeling a little… stretched thin lately."

Galmak laughed and pulled her close. "Now that's quite an understatement. Yes, you could use a rest, and so could I. And I know just the place for that."

Hyara kissed him and nuzzled her face against his, feeling his tusks brush across her cheek. "You do, do you? And where is that?"

"Karkun Kamil, of course," he grinned.

She smiled back. "Of course. Back to Nagrand we go, then. And if Remta wants to send me back out again…"

"We'll tell him it'll just have to wait," Galmak laughed.

* * *


End file.
